Background:
Hindon’s customer, an engineering firm specializing in capital improvement projects for industrial clients, was contracted to support a United States-based building material manufacturer with the integration of industrial brakes into a fiber insulation press packing system. The fiber packaging machine’s existing servo brake motors proved inadequate when subjected to back pressure from compressing fiber insulation-filled bags into packages, resulting in creep.
Consequently, the client sought to implement external brakes to the press packing system, specifically on both the pusher chain drive and the compression tunnel chain drive. The brakes needed to be mounted on the driven shafts, functioning as holding brakes when the pusher or compression tunnel press plate reached its destination with the servo motors powered off. Upon completion of each process, the brakes would be reactivated, retracting the pusher or compression tunnel plate to its initial position.
Given Hindon’s experience providing application-specific industrial braking solutions across various industries, and its expertise with retrofit applications, Hindon was a natural fit to design and supply the ideal braking system for this application.
The existing multipack press system, previously equipped with inadequate servo brake motors.
Application Challenges:
- High duty cycle and fast response time requirements
- Retrofit application within existing spatial constraints
- Compressed project timeline and delivery requirement
Solution:
After evaluating the system’s available technical information and consulting with the customer and end user to ascertain project goals, constraints, and other technical requirements, Hindon designed and supplied an industrial braking system that incorporated pneumatically released disc brakes designed for use on 315mm brake discs with integral hubs. Two brakes were allocated to the pusher system, and one was to be used for the compression tunnel.
Pneumatic fail-safe brakes were ideal for this application for several key reasons. First, the torque requirements (1,740 Nm for the pusher brake and 400 Nm for the compression tunnel) were easily met using relatively small pneumatic disc brakes. After addressing the torque requirement, it was crucial to ensure the brakes could handle the application’s high duty cycling and rapid response times. For both engagement and disengagement, pneumatic brakes proved to be the ideal solution. Additionally, pneumatic fail-safe brakes represented a cost-effective and readily available solution compared to other considered alternatives, including various electrically released brake types.
Hindon delivered the industrial braking system within the compressed project schedule, avoiding delays to the overall project completion. In collaboration with the client and end user, Hindon was able to provide a robust, reliable, and cost-effective solution that enhanced the productivity of packaging operations for the United States manufacturer.