New brake drum could trim pounds from Stryker vehicles.

• Position: TECHWIRE

Developers are showcasing an aluminum brake drum for trucks that weighs nearly half as much as its cast-iron equivalent.

Army researchers, in conjunction with the Michigan-based company Century Inc., produced the drum, which would reduce the weight of an Army Stryker vehicle by about 250 pounds, according to Jim McManus, Century's business development manager. It's made from aluminum alloys and ceramics, and it comes at a time when combat-vehicle makers are scrambling to shed ounces from their trucks to meet the military's stringent weight requirements.

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"The theory behind the technology is to come up with ways to use lighter-weight metal alloys where normally...