Brake and Clutch Supply for Tension Control and Resistive Applications
Placid Industries offers a brake and clutch supply of magnetic particle clutches and brakes, and hysteresis brakes to meet its customers’ requirements and demand. Placid Industries brakes and clutches are used in a wide range of applications, most of which require a form of tension control or resistance. Applications can range from more “common” industrial uses like providing tension for winding wire and cable, to unique applications like resistance for fitness equipment. No matter the application, a technical expert is always available to explain the best product for your requirements.
Placid Industries has over 50 years of experience in producing a brake and clutch supply for tension control and resistance based applications. This experience and devotion to continuous improvement results in dedicated customer service, and several product lines all with superior function and operation. Over 5000 customers across a wide range of industries trust Placid Industries as their go-to motion control solution provider.
Curious about how our products are used? Reference the table below to learn more about what product type is best for your application.
| Application Example | Product(s) Used | How does it work? |
|---|---|---|
| Winding / Unwinding [Fiber, Film, Paper, etc.] | Magnetic Particle Clutches Magnetic Particle Brakes Hysteresis Brakes | Tension is controlled by the amount of current applied to the magnetic particle brake or clutch, or hysteresis brake. As more current is applied, tension increases. This allows for proper control of the winding and unwinding process during wire and cable manufacturing, paper manufacturing, thin film manufacturing, and specialty converting services. |
| Feedback Control | Magnetic Particle Clutches | The current applied to the magnetic particle clutch is increased as the steering device moves out of its resting position. This allows aircraft pilots to gain valuable feedback for their steering and vehicle control. It can also be used in less critical situations such as in the feedback control for the classic arcade racing game developed by SEGA – Daytona USA. |
| Resistance Control in Fitness Equipment | Magnetic Particle Brakes | As current is applied to the brake, resistance is increased for the user of the fitness equipment. This type of resistance control is common in equipment like elliptical machines, stationary bikes, strengthening machines (based on resistance not weight), muscle testing devices, etc. |
| Tension Control for Bottle Capping | Bottle capping requires very precise motion control to prevent product loss or damage. The magnetic particle clutch is used as a means of tension control for the process of bottle capping. The current supplied is adjusted to meet the required tension for each type of bottle being capped. More current equals more tension, less current equals less tension. | |
| Tension Control for Conveyor Belts | Magnetic Particle Brakes Hysteresis Brakes | To prevent the conveyor belt from having too much slack, or from tearing due to too much tension, magnetic particle brakes and hysteresis brakes are used to control the amount of tension applied to the belt. To increase the tightness of the conveyor belt, more current is applied to the brake. The opposite is also true, to relieve the conveyor belt from stress, the current supplied to the brake is reduced. |
| Product Life Testing | Magnetic Particle Brakes Hysteresis Brakes | Life testing allows manufacturers to analyze the anticipated use their products will provide their customers. This type of testing is common for garage doors, car windows, power tools, etc. Current is applied to the brake to increase the resistive force against the product being tested. Resistance is precisely adjusted to help engineers and designers test their product's strength and durability |
Maintaining repeatable and precise tension control or resistance control requires a reliable brake or clutch. Placid Industries has developed a premier brake and clutch supply, with the smoothest operation available for its customers. The applications described in this article help to illustrate the range of capabilities for our products. If you have an application similar to those in this article, or a unique application that requires tension or resistance control, don’t hesitate to contact our team, or call today! You will speak with an expert right away, not a robot. All orders are expected to ship within 24-48 hours.