Purpose This study aims to develop magnetic field-controlled friction braking technology, the preparation process of hard magnetic brake friction material was optimized and analyzed in this paper. Design/methodology/approach NdFeB, a rigid magnetic material, was selected as additive. Magnetic field orientation, a part of material preparation, was added to the preparation process. Experiments investigated the tribological properties of each brake lining sample. The preparation process of the hard magnetic friction material was optimized based on fuzzy theory by using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methods and SPSS software. The microscopic morphology and the distribution and content of elements of friction lining samples prepared with or without orientation excitation voltage were analyzed by scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. Findings The results showed that the tribological properties of brake lining samples could be improved by process optimization and the oriented excitation voltage can effectively improve the properties of the brake lining. Originality/value The magnetic field orientation was added into the traditional preparation process, and a set of process parameters with the best tribological properties were obtained through optimization. It is believed that this research will be of great theoretical and practical significance to develop both new brake materials and active control technology of the braking process in the future.