Power Off Brakes, sometimes referred to as Safety Brakes, Spring Set Brakes or Fail Safe Brakes, are widely used in the industry, usually on the back of motors, to hold a machine, pulley, Z axis, or robotic arm in position in case of a power failure.

There are many application and technical issues that arise when it comes to utilizing Power Off Brakes.  One of the most common issues has to do with backlash in the brake, or what is described as lash, free play, or lost motion. 

Backlash is defined as how much or how many degrees (+and-) the shaft will rotate (lost motion) while the brake is holding (no power). This depends on the type of “hub” or “drive”….

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Author - Rocco Dragone, Deltran Product Specialist, division Thomson Industries