Solutions in Motion™

When you’re trying to decide which type of brake is best for your particular application (such as mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic brakes), it’s important to understand both the reasons for braking and the differences in the types of caliper disc brakes available for industrial equipment and on- and off-road braking applications.

Caliper disc brakes come in many sizes and types, depending on your needs. W.C. Branham is proud to offer a wide range of industrial and vehicular caliper disc brakes – more than 300 possible model configurations. From active pneumatic and active hydraulic to lever mechanical actuated and spring applied brakes, you can customize disc brakes for your application. The key to success is proper sizing.

When your industrial design calls for linear movement, you might want to use hydraulic actuators. There are definite advantages to using a fluid-powered actuator, but that doesn’t mean they are right for every purpose. It all comes down to the requirements of your specific application. So, when should you choose hydraulic linear actuators?

Industrial applications are typically complex. At W.C. Branham, Inc., we deliberately design our products with a multitude of configuration options because customers need an exact fit for their application. We design, build and sell our own products, but often our customer’s full scope of needs goes beyond our line of fluid power and power transmission. That’s why, for our U.S. customers on the West Coast, we have DJ Reps as a trusted partner. 

W.C. Branham President and CEO Troy Branham introduces our pneumatic actuator line, specifically our new DURATRK™ slot tube style rodless cylinders in this edition of Solutions in Motion.

A lot can go wrong with air cylinders, and when any problem could lead to downtime, damage, or equipment failure, troubleshooting each issue can get complicated. Preventive maintenance can keep air cylinders running at optimum performance levels and reveal telltale signs that you might need to repair them. Look for these six telltale signs you may need air cylinder repairs.

When designing a custom solution, mitigating risk and margin for error is critical. One mistake and the fallout in expense can be substantial. This is why prototyping is a common practice in manufacturing. It allows manufacturers the ability to assess, qualify, and minimize risk. But if you need to justify the expense of prototyping, it’s worthwhile to weigh the advantages of prototyping against the associated costs.

Every part in a complex machine presents a chance for failure, especially if they're not designed or maintained properly. Sometimes the simplest parts get overlooked. A right angle gearbox needs less attention than many more complex parts, but it still can bind, grind or fail without proper lubrication.

Most often, helical gears are associated with transmissions in the automotive industry. But they can also be used across many different industries, and are a good substitute for the commonly utilized spur gears — especially if noise is a factor.

Noise control is just one of the advantages of using a helical gearbox design in your application, but it's far from the only one. Here are some other benefits of helical gearboxes.

What is a fail-safe brake and when are they most commonly used?

In this video, W.C. Branham's VP of Engineering and General Manager, Chad Randleman, will walk you through the basic functions of fail-safe brakes and their most common applications. Enjoy!