If there is a danger of falling loads on vertical axes in areas where personnel have to work, additional measures must be taken to minimize the risk of accidents. The Mauerstetten brake specialist, Mayr Power Transmission, has developed brake systems capable of providing safety in any critical situation occurring during vertical axes operation. Vertically-moved masses, in particular when they are heavy parts such as motors or gearboxes, become a serious safety hazard if, on power failure, their movement is inadvertently accelerated or if they drop uncontrollably.

Mayr Power Transmission offers the ROBA-topstop, a modular construction brake type series with individual brakes and redundant dual-circuit brake modules for the prevention of any critical danger situations which can occur during vertical axes operation and which are defined in the DIN EN 954-1, Categories 1-3. The aspect of safety was not the only target criterion during development of the ROBA-topstop. The constructional conditions for drive elements in vertical axes were also considered carefully. Due to their adapted flange dimensions, ROBA-topstop brakes can be integrated problem-free into pre-existing constructions between the servomotor and the counter flange.

The modular assembly is flexible enough to allow many different designs, for example with a shaft; with a hollow shaft; with a flexible coupling; with an additional safety clutch for torque limiting or with two individual brakes. Using a ROBA-topstop brake system with a hollow shaft and an integrated, insertable shaft coupling means that the separate compensation coupling and the coupling housing usually necessary are no longer needed. A driveline with this brake system is only minimally longer than the usual axis with servomotor and shaft coupling for connection to a spindle or to a gearbox shaft. ROBA-topstop designs with shafts are principally conceived for installation between the servomotor and the hollow shaft gearbox.