Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2019 - 6

FEATURE ARTICLE

Stromag Designs New Fail-Safe Electromagnetic Brakes for Ships, Harbors and Other
Industrial Applications

To meet the evolving demands of industrial marine operators
handling greater loads at higher speeds, engineers at Stromag
started from a clean sheet to design a new line of fail-safe electromagnetic brakes.
Modern vessels are equipped with dozens of ancillary items such
as winches and loading cranes which must all incorporate braking systems to ensure their operation is reliable and effectively
controlled. Stromag, an Altra Industrial Motion company based in
Unna, Germany, has designed and manufactured marine braking
systems for decades. The company's products are installed on
vessels operating across the globe, an experience that has given
Stromag keen insight into the demands placed on equipment
that operates at sea and the needs of vessel owners to increase
productivity.
"In marine applications, time is money," explains Michael Frank,
product specialist for clutches and brakes at Stromag. "The
faster vessels can complete loading and unloading operations,
the sooner they can be on their way, earning their keep." That
pressure for increased productivity, he adds, has led to a continual increase in the capacity and speed of ancillary equipment
with significant implications for braking systems.
"As cranes and hoists run faster and move larger loads, the
amount of kinetic energy in the system increases, and the braking system needs to be able to manage that energy to keep the
equipment under control." Over time, Stromag engineers have
continually adapted and upgraded their existing range of marine

Magnetics Business & Technology * November/December 2019

brakes to handle increased loads but the company recognized
that these incremental improvements were reaching their limit.
It was time for a new approach. The company established a team
to create an entirely new series of brakes, designed to meet the
requirements of current and future generations of fast, high-powered marine equipment.
"Our objectives for the new range were simple," says Frank. "Our
customers wanted a solution that offered the same high levels of
reliability they have come to expect from us but with more power.
Of course, they also have a close eye on cost."
Delivering against those objectives was challenging, however.
Braking systems for marine equipment face significant constraints. They must fit into a limited space envelope, offer standard mechanical and electrical interfaces for shafts and control
systems, and withstand all the rigors of a wet, corrosive marine
environment.
"The key to better brake performance is improved thermal characteristics," explains Frank. "It is the braking system's ability to
dissipate heat that determines the power available." The thermal
behavior of a braking system is a complex design process, determined by the interaction between multiple components. To get
the performance it was looking for, the Stromag team had to apply its in-depth experience of advanced friction system design, to
make extensive use of computer-aided simulation and optimization tools, and to test multiple prototypes on rigs and in the field.
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Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2019

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