Product upgrade: further development of caliper brakes

The modified brakes have a higher power density and can be operated either pneumatically or mechanically as standard. The product line is designed as a modular system and available in six sizes covering clamping forces of up to 58.5 kN.

Main applications are general drive technology, automation, packaging machinery and test bench technology.

Premiere at the ‘all about automation’ trade fair from 23 to 24 September 2026 in Chemnitz

The KTR-STOP PB consists of two brake levers that are pivotally mounted in the caliper housing. At one end of the brake levers, the brake pads are mounted along with the brake shoe and retaining springs.  At the other end there is the actuator, which is a brake cylinder in the pneumatic version and a handwheel in the mechanical version; the return springs are also installed on this side. The brake is applied according to the principle of „action equals reaction“ so that only one actuator is needed to engage the brake.

In a pneumatic active brake, the clamping force is generated by supplying compressed air to the actuator.  The brake is released by the return springs on the brake caliper as soon as the actuator is depressurized. In the passive version, the clamping force is generated by compression springs in the actuator. The brake is released by applying compressed air to the actuator. In the mechanical version, the clamping force is applied manually using a handwheel.

The new product line comprises the sizes 50, 100, 200, 215, 250 and 350 covering clamping forces from 0.76 kN to 58.5 kN. Hans-Christian Butenholz, Design Engineer at KTR Brake Systems: „Thanks to more powerful actuators, the pneumatic brakes achieve a higher power density compared to previous models. The clamping force of size 200, as an example, is 22 kN, while its predecessor reached 19.2 kN.“ Besides, the actuators are no longer equipped with a diaphragm, but only with piston seals. This increases the number of smooth shifts many times over and, as a result, improves reliability. In addition, passive brakes use a type of spring with a very low spring rate, which allows the brake to achieve significantly lower power losses.

Another new feature is that the sizes 50 to 250 are equipped with bigger brake pads as standard. The bigger friction lining surfaces mean less wear and a reduced temperature rise. Another benefit of the product upgrade: The new brakes are designed so that they can be used in any installation situation without additional accessories. This allows the customer to choose the brake’s position freely without having to purchase a separate mounting kit. Another new feature is that the brakes come equipped with optimized corrosion protection as standard.

The new KTR-STOP PB product line is designed as a modular system, consisting of various brake calipers and actuators. Hans-Christian Butenholz: „The modular system offers numerous possible combinations. This allows us to respond flexibly to our customers‘ varying requirements.“

We will present the new caliper brake for the first time at the „all about automation“ trade show, taking place in Chemnitz in hall 1, booth 216 from September 23 to 24, 2026.