#Product Trends
IEF-Werner offers parking brake for vertical axes
When using linear units vertically, it was often common practice to hold the load solely by the brake provided in the drive motor.
However, this leaves a residual risk for employees who are in the danger zone, e.g. during maintenance work, because the vertical axis can drop unintentionally. One requirement of the applicable Machinery Directive is to reliably prevent this during risk assessment. IEF-Werner offers an additional pneumatic parking brake for some linear units, which guarantees a secure hold.
Furtwangen, 04.04.2022 – If service personnel must enter the machining area of a machine, the drive axes must be put in a safe position. If heavy loads are also hanging on the vertical axes, they can drop due to gravity. To prevent this, the vertical axes are usually secured with brakes in the drive motor. "However, dirt or mechanical wear can severely impair their effect," explains IEF product consultant Thomas Hettich. In addition, there are several transmission links such as couplings or toothed belts between the brake integrated in the motor and the basic body of the axis, which could fail. In addition, there is a risk that when a motor is dismantled, e.g. for maintenance work, there may even be a sudden drop in the load, putting employees at considerable risk.
