Contact UsHolding & Safety Brake Solutions for Industrial Automation
Brakes in modern motion control are no longer just passive mechanical parts. In sectors like autonomous mobile robotics (AMRs), medical technology, and heavy-duty industrial automation, brakes must interact flawlessly with the drive intelligence. The goal is to ensure absolute positioning, secure fail-safe holding, and controlled dynamic stopping under emergency conditions.
By combining Dunkermotoren’s robust brake mechanics directly with our smart brushless (BG) and brushed (GR) DC motors, you get a perfectly matched, compact drive system. This setup eliminates external mounting adapters, minimizes axial play, and guarantees maximum safety directly at the load.
Backed by in-house brake expertise and proprietary designs like E38 R, E90 R and E46 A, Dunkermotoren ensures system-level competence and proven engineering excellence in braking technology.
Our Modular Hardware: Brake Types & Technologies
Dunkermotoren does not rely on separate, bulky third-party attachments. Instead, our mechanical brakes are engineered as modular hardware components that integrate directly into or onto the motor housing.
Depending on your application's safety and kinematic requirements, we utilize three distinct mechanical brake technologies:
Spring-Applied Brakes (Power-Off / Fail-Safe Principle):
The heavy-duty industry standard for fail-safe operations. Internal springs mechanically force the friction discs together the moment power is cut. This guarantees that vertical loads or heavy automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are held securely in place during an emergency stop or power outage.
Permanent Magnet Holding Brakes:
The premium hardware choice for high-precision positioning. These brakes use powerful permanent magnets to lock the shaft. They offer completely backlash-free holding and zero residual torque when energized, making them ideal for high-speed medical and optical axes.
Power-On Brakes (Active Engagement Principle)
These mechanical brakes actively engage and apply stopping torque only when an electrical voltage is actively supplied to the coil.
Safe Brake Control (SBC Hardware Integration):
When these physical brakes are paired with our smart dSafe motor electronics, the drive provides a safe output signal to safely control the brake's mechanical state.
Product Matrix: Industrial Brake Systems
The following matrix connects our core brake technologies with specific Dunkermotoren hardware models. Select the model that fits your required torque range and motor frame size:
| Brake Model | Mechanism Type | Torque Range (Nm) | Key Feature | Target Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E 22 R / E 100 R | Permanent Magnet | 0.1 – 1.0 Nm | Zero Backlash Holding | Precision Optics |
| E 38 R | Spring-Applied | 0.2 – 0.5 Nm | Fits inside BG45 Housing | Compact Robotics |
| E 90 R | Spring-Applied | 1.0 – 2.0 Nm | Manual Release Lever | Conveyor Systems |
| E 90 R LN | Spring (Low Noise) | 1.0 – 2.0 Nm | Acoustic Damping | Medical Devices |
| E 310 R / E 600 R | Spring-Applied | 3.0 – 6.0 Nm | High Thermal Capacity | AGV Drive Wheels |
Certified Hardware Lineup
The Permanent Magnet Series (E 22 R / E 100 R):
This series is the flagship for applications requiring absolute positioning without backlash. Because they utilize permanent magnets to generate the holding torque, there is zero residual torque when energized. This ensures wear-free operation at high speeds.
Note: Correct electrical polarity must be strictly observed during installation.
The Spring-Applied Series (E 38 R / E 90 R / E 310 R / E 600 R):
A highly versatile and robust solution for general automation. The E 38 R is uniquely engineered to fit directly into the standard housing of our BG 45 motors, maintaining a sleek, space-saving design. For larger loads, the E 90 R features an optional manual hand-release lever, allowing service technicians to manually move axes during commissioning or power failures. For higher torque requirements E 310 R and E 600 R may be chosen.
The Low Noise Evolution (E 90 R LN):
Engineered specifically for noise-sensitive environments like medical laboratories, clinics, and high-end office automation. By optimizing internal mechanical clearances and adding specialized dampening discs, the switching noise is drastically reduced while maintaining identical safety holding torques.
Smarter System Integration:
When you build a complete system, the brake is mounted directly behind the motor, and an incremental or absolute encoder can be stacked right onto the same shaft behind the brake. This modularity means you don't lose any feedback precision. To protect your control electronics from voltage spikes during brake switching, always integrate a freewheeling diode into your circuit.
Implementation in the Field:
In an automated warehouse, an AGV wheel drive needs to hold its position on an inclined ramp during a stop. The E 600 R spring brake engages immediately when the power drops, locking the vehicle safely in place. In a medical diagnostic machine, the E 90 R LN safely holds a vertical scanner axis in position between tests without creating annoying clicking sounds that could disturb patients.
Talk to an engineer about your risk assessment and let’s find the right drive configuration for your system.
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Safe Control & Environmental Protection
Eliminate mechanical vulnerabilities. Our modular systems ensure your braking hardware is protected against both electrical faults and harsh external environments:
- IP54 to IP65 Protection: Available with specialized sealing rings and protective caps to seal the brake against dust and liquids.
- Integrated Freewheeling Protection: Safeguards your industrial PLCs or relays from inductive voltage spikes when the brake coil is de-energized.
- Black-Channel SBC Execution: Works flawlessly alongside FSoE (Fail Safe over EtherCAT) networks to command the brake state through the motor's internal smart drive.
Application Engineering: Why it Matters
- Mobile Robotics (AGVs/AMRs): Use high-torque spring brakes (E 310 R) on the main drive wheels to act as an emergency stopping assistant and emergency parking brake.
- Medical Technology: Deploy acoustic-optimized brakes (E 90 R LN) in patient tables and surgical arms to guarantee rock-solid locking with zero distracting noise.
- Vertical Axes & Lifting: Implement permanent magnet brakes for zero-backlash holding, preventing micro-movements or slipping when cranes or Z-axes stand still for long periods.
Technical Support & Configuration
Selecting the right brake depends heavily on your dynamic energy calculations, duty cycles, and environmental factors. Our application engineers are ready to calculate the exact braking energy and holding torque required for your specific risk assessment.
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Downloads:
Related Press Releases
| Press Releases | Overview |
|---|---|
| E90R LN: Silent Fail-Safe Brake | This release features the E90R LN spring-applied brake, which uses a fail-safe principle to automatically engage and hold loads when de-energized. It focuses on reducing operating noise for sensitive environments like medical technology while maintaining uncompromising safety standards. |
| dSafe: Integrated Motor Safety | Announces the launch of the dSafe technology for BG 75 and BG 95 motors. This platform integrates Safe Motion functions such as STO, SS1, and SLS directly into the motor, supporting safe communication via PROFIsafe and FSoE protocols. |
FAQs - Industrial Brakes
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What is the main difference between a holding brake and a dynamic brake?Dunkermotoren brakes are primarily designed as static holding brakes. Their main job is to hold an axis in a fixed position when the motor is already at a standstill or when power is cut. While they can handle emergency dynamic stops (e.g., during a power failure), routine dynamic braking should always be handled electronically by the motor drive controller to prevent mechanical wear.
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Why do permanent magnet brakes require correct electrical polarity?Permanent magnet brakes use strong internal magnets to attract the armature plate and lock the brake. To release the brake, an electrical coil must create an opposing magnetic field that exactly neutralizes the permanent magnets. If you reverse the polarity, the coil will strengthen the magnetic pull instead of neutralizing it, and the brake will not release.
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Can I combine a brake, an encoder, and a gearbox on the same motor?Yes. Dunkermotoren's modular system is completely stackable. The typical layout from front to back is: Gearbox \(\rightarrow \) Motor \(\rightarrow \) Brake \(\rightarrow \) Encoder. This allows you to have high torque output, smart motor control, safety holding functionality, and precise positioning feedback all in one integrated, single-shaft unit.
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What does "Safe Brake Control" (SBC) mean in practice?SBC is a functional safety feature according to IEC 61800-5-2. Instead of controlling the brake via a standard, non-safe PLC output, the safe drive electronics (like Dunkermotoren dSafe) monitor the brake circuit via two independent channels. This ensures that a single component failure or cable short-circuit cannot cause an accidental release of the brake.