IOSR Journal of Engineering (IOSRJEN) www.iosrjen.org ISSN (e): 2250-3021, ISSN (p): 2278-8719 Vol. 08, Issue 8 (August. 2018), ||V (II) || 29-35 International organization of Scientific Research 29 | P a g e Operational Programmable Logic Control of a Non-Disposable Brake pad Sensor A.A. Adeseko 1 , B. Kareem 2 1 (Industrial and Production Engineering/ The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. 2 (Industrial and Production Engineering/ The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.) Corresponding Author: A.A. Adeseko1 Abstract : The braking system is very important components in the motor vehicle without which the vehicle could possibly result in road accident. In this study, a non-disposable brake pad sensor was design and fabricated to enable imminent failure alert in order to reduce the risk of road accidents. The research approach involved development of both hardware and software components of the sensor. The hardware components include the microcontroller, contact sensor, battery, communication PC cable, capacitors and Tri-colour LED indicator while the software components include Mikro C Pro (to write the program and compile it). The test results indicated that, during normal operating condition, the Tri-colour LED emits green colour signifying that the brake pad is in good condition. The brake pad material worn to about 50% of its original thickness value indicated that the sensor has been contacted with the rotor thereby causing a closed circuit, on this basis, the LED energized to emit an amber appearance signifying that the pad should be replaced soon. The worn of the brake pad to about 25% of the frictional material led to emission red light which signifies that the pads need to be replaced. Keywords – Accident, brake pad, Mikro C, Sensor, Tri-LED --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 31-07-2018 Date of acceptance: 18-08-2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. INTRODUCTION Road accidents have become a normal and re-occurring phenomenon in Nigeria which constitutes a menace in modern times. Although both the developed and developing nations of the world have suffered from varying degrees of road accidents, the developing countries clearly dominates with Nigeria having the second highest rate of road accidents among 193 ranked countries of the world [1]. The rate at which Nigerians perish in road crashes is alarming. Almost every day, we are awash with stories of road accidents that cost the lives of Nigerians and inflict temporary or permanent injuries on some others [2]. According to the figures by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), 10050 people die yearly in road accidents. Statistically, this means there are 28 deaths on our roads daily and this excludes hundreds of victims who suffer various degrees of injuries and permanent disabilities. According to [2], the repercussions of such accidents have been colossal. Despite the happiness and change of quality of family lives associated with owning a vehicle its possession has left many families bereft of the bread winners or loved ones. [3] Invented a brake wear sensor. The brake wear sensor in which a body of electrical insulating material mounts a pair of electrically conductive plates such that edges of the plates are spaced from each other at a surface of the body. The body has an external thread adapted to be received within an internally threaded opening in a brake pad to position the surface of the body and the edges of the plates adjacent to a braking surface of the brake pad. Electrical circuitry is connected to the plates for monitoring wear at the surface of the body as a function of the changes in capacitance between the plates and a gauge is coupled to the circuitry for indicating brake wear as a function of such changes in capacitance. Wiley and Williams [4] invented a brake pad wear detection system. The brake wear detection system comprises a brake having a brake pad and a conductive braking face with the brake face engaging during braking. A sensor loop is embedded in the brake pad and positioned to be broken when the wear to the brake pad exceeds the working limit. An indicator means and a detecting means for operating the indicator were provided, the detecting means detecting contact between the sensor loop and the braking face as well as breakage of the sensor loop. From the existing literature, the brake pad sensor were positioned to be destroyed this necessitate the development of Non-disposable brake pad sensor. II. EXPERIMENT Brake pads are vital components of braking system for all categories of vehicles that are equipped with brake discs. Brake pads are steel backing plates with friction material bound to the surface facing the brake disc [5].