Zimmer Group is a pioneer in the fields of clamping and braking on profile and round guides.
More than 30 years of development and market experience have yielded more than 4,000 products. Zimmer Group offers the most comprehensive and innovative portfolio of products and services reflecting the highest possible quality and reliability.
Clamping and braking elements from Zimmer Group routinely perform critical positioning, holding and braking tasks. They ensure precision during cutting processes and boost efficiency with short cycle times. Their secure hold maximizes safety and protects the machines.
Zimmer Clamping- and Braking - high-performance, durable, innovative
With many years of product and market experience, we have a special ability to develop custom solutions that complement our large and diverse range of products.
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- Very high holding force on small dimensions
- No relative movement for the workpiece
- No clamping forces transferred to the guide block
- High positional accuracy
- High stiffness
- Virtually wear free
- Available for all common guide manufacturers
- Emergency stop-capable series with integrated special surface for braking
Select clamping and braking elements more quickly. A powerful tool that enables fast and well-founded selections.
Clearly arranged selection guide. The available clamping and braking elements that meet these specifications are shown to the user in an overview table.
Appealing solution, available on mobile devices. Since the selection program is available online, customers do not have to install any software and can access it using any computer or laptop, as well as with any smartphone or tablet.
Holding force
The holding force is the maximum force that can be applied in the axial direction. The specified holding forces are tested before each delivery on every clamping and braking element using a slightly lubricated rail (ISO VG 68). In some cases, using other oil or lubricating substances can greatly influence the coefficient of friction, which can cause crucial loss of holding force in individual cases.
Active clamping elements are normally open (NO) and are closed with compressed air; passive clamping elements (NC), by contrast, are kept closed without pressure by the force of a spring energy accumulator and must be opened with compressed air. Both variants are characterized by the use of high-ratio wedge-type gears from Zimmer Group. They translate the force of the piston across smooth-running rollers into a lateral holding force, enabling very high holding forces of up to 1850 N without frequent seizing.
Wedge slide gear
With the wedge-type gear the Zimmer Clamping and Braking Elements fulfill the requirements for short cycle times and high machine capacity, while ensuring reliable production over a service life of up to 5 million clamping cycles.
General
- Series MBPS/UBPS/LBPS/KBHS/LBHS and RBPS permit the use of corresponding contact profiles for dynamic use (braking) as a safety feature.
- The frictional connection between the clamping element and the linear guide is generated on the free surfaces of the guide rails, avoiding damage to the running surfaces of the ball guides and roller slides.
- The clamping elements do not perform any guide function. Therefore, it is not possible to exchange a guide block with a clamping element. The ideal position of the clamping element is between two guide blocks.
Brake and clamping elements with integrated valve
In machining and handling systems, braking elements assume a core safety function by ensuring that machines and systems come to a stop as quickly as possible in an emergency. In the event of a power outage, loss of pressure or emergency shutdown, they absorb the kinetic energy present in moving components such as Z axes or machining tables. The response time of the braking element is of key importance here, because the faster the system comes to a stop, the less damage there will be—and damage may be avoided entirely. To shorten the response time of its braking elements, the Zimmer Group has integrated a globally unique feature into its braking elements for the UBPS series: Here, the electric valve for triggering the braking or clamping process is no longer located a few meters away from the braking element, as was typical in the past.
Shorter closing time - more safety
This has considerable effects on the braking distance. For a vertical axis with an initial velocity of 0.5 meters per second, the overall braking distance increases considerably compared to a solution with an integrated valve. The braking distance is almost 50 percent longer for a hose length of one meter and nearly 250 percent longer for a hose length of 6.5 meters.
Zimmer Group demonstrates its technological expertise with a new product: Following a development phase of over two years, the company is launching a hydraulic braking element that consists of a single functional component, contains no moving parts and uses just the internal stress of the base body to generates braking and holding forces.
The extremely slim LBHS series consists primarily of a patented unibody housing that does not contain any pistons, springs or other moving parts susceptible to wear. The housing block merely contains oil ducts and cut-outs created with precision through the use of wire-cut electrical discharge machining. If this base body is pressurized with hydraulic fluid, it opens slightly, releasing the slide on the linear axis.
If the hydraulic pressure drops, the element assumes its original shape again, which allows it to compress the two brake pads on the linear axis. The LBHS is closed without pressure and offers an integrated emergency function that ensures that all moving components stop safely if the pressure drops or the entire system fails.
UBPS series
Handling of cylinder heads for ship engines
UBPS braking element with high positioning accuracy for specifying the gripper position and ensuring that power is stored when the system is in an emergency stop in case of a power supply failure.
MBPS series
Handling crankshafts with variable gripping distances
MBPS braking elements that use the built-in spring accumulator to hold the grippers securely in position without the need to use power.
MKRS series
Box filling system
MKRS clamping element for round guides, which holds the box in place during overhead filling.
MKS series
MKS clamping element, which ensures the position of the gripper fingers and the gripper force without using energy via the built-in spring accumulator.
Zimmer gripper with integrated clamping element
GHK gripper with integrated clamping element for friction-locked gripping force safety device in a compact design.
TPS + MKS series
TPS rotation clamping element, which secures the crank housing precisely at the set rotation angle. Combined with two MKS clamping elements, which use the built-in spring accumulator to secure the gripped crankshaft housing.
