Reliable couplings, clutches and brakes for top-class sports

An unforgettable moment - when Germany became the Football World Champions in Brazil in 2014, and mayr power transmission was live on-site at the final in Rio de Janeiro, where ROBA-stop-silenzio brakes were securing the flying camera above the football pitch in the stadium. Such cable camera systems regularly allow millions of spectators to experience diverse sporting events at close quarters whilst sitting in front of their televisions. The safety brakes ensure smooth operation. This is particularly important for camera flight above an audience and players: The brakes must hold the cameras securely in position and ensure that the cameras come to a standstill and do not drop uncontrollably in case of faults, for example in case of power failure.

In addition to flying cameras, sophisticated stage technology is used in the big stadiums around the world in order to skilfully set the scene around sportsmen and women. The low-noise stage brakes by mayr power transmission also reliably ensure the safety of people and materials behind the scenes. Impressive examples of this are the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games 2008 in the famous national stadium in Beijing. Redundant ROBA-stop-silenzio safety brakes were also in use here. They secured, for example, the cable winches which were used to move spotlights, decorations or also actors. In the process, the attached loads not only had to be moved and braked, but also held in defined positions with millimetre precision. The opening ceremony by Chief Director Zhang Yimou alone was viewed on screen by billions of people worldwide.

However, besides safety brakes, mayr power transmission also provides tailor-made clutches for stage technology in sports stadiums. As a result, products from this renowned family-run company from the Allgu region were also involved at the impressive opening ceremony of the Olympic Games 2012 in London, for example. Here, the audience was able to follow England's development into an industrialised nation live. In the process, amongst other things, six 36m-high industrial chimneys with outer walls made from printed fabric rose out of the ground. In order to stabilise the fabric tubes whilst pulling them up, and therefore giving an impression of a solid wall, frictionally locking safety clutches by mayr power transmission were used. Whilst a winch pulled the upper frame of the chimney upwards, the drive of a second winch in the base rotated with a relative speed to counteract the direction of the tensile force, and thus kept the wire cable taut. The differential speed between the two winches was compensated by permanently slipping safety clutches in special design. These were able to reliably fulfil the high demands generated by the thermal loads.

Safety brake

Not as spectacular, but nevertheless equally important, is the technology used at the Schattenberg ski jumping hill in the ski jumping arena near Oberstdorf. Here, at the most famous venue of the Four Hills Tournament and World Cup, an inclined elevator transports the ski jumpers or visitors from the landing zone to the foot of the ski jump tower. The speed-regulated drive in the mountain station of the lift is equipped with a ROBA-stop-Z safety brake by mayr power transmission. In normal operation, this functions purely as a holding brake. In case of emergency or power failure, it reliably brings the cabin to a standstill - regardless of whether the cabin is located on a steep or flat section of the track, and regardless of the load.

Motorsports is a type of sport in which a great deal of technology is already invested during development and in the preparation for the race. Here, for example, clutches by mayr power transmission are not only used in Formula 1 driving simulators, using which drivers can prepare for the race, but also on the high-performance test stands which are used in the development and production of the vehicles. Using these component and function test stands, an entire spectrum of demands for the drive line and its components can be realistically simulated. And the demands on these stands are correspondingly high. Severe damage may be caused if a collision occurs at high speed.

In such conditions, standard safety clutches are often incapable of protecting the frequently expensive test pieces and sensitive measuring devices. With the EAS-HSE/HSC high-speed clutches, mayr power transmission has therefore developed products which are specially customised to meet these high demands. In motorsports test stands, they provide reliable protection without influencing the measuring results in the process. In order to achieve this high precision and reliability, mayr power transmission relies on comprehensive tests and quality checks. Prior to delivery, all products are extensively tested on the test stands and set accurately to the required values for the respective application.

Go to www.mayr.com to learn more about the company's range of brakes and clutches.