Servo Motor Holding Brake – When to Use It and When to Skip It
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Servo Motor Holding Brake – When to Use It and When to Skip ItThe Purpose of a Holding Brake
A servo motor brake is not a dynamic braking device—it is a holding brake designed to prevent shaft rotation when power is removed. It engages when the servo is disabled and releases when the drive is enabled. For vertical axes (Z-axis on a CNC or a lift mechanism), a holding brake is mandatory to prevent the load from falling during power loss or emergency stop. For horizontal axes, it is often optional.
Common Misuse: Using the Brake for Stopping
Never rely on the holding brake to decelerate a moving load. The brake is designed for static holding only; using it to stop a rotating motor rapidly wears the friction surfaces and may fail to hold. For Yaskawa and Panasonic servos, the brake’s holding torque is typically 100% of rated torque, but its dynamic braking capacity is far lower. Always program the drive to decelerate to zero speed before disabling the servo.
Wiring and Release Timing
The brake release signal must be wired to the drive’s brake output terminal (or a PLC output with proper interlocking). For vertical axes, add a delay of 100–200ms between brake release and motion command to ensure the brake has fully disengaged. For Siemens V90 drives with a motor brake, the brake release and engage times are configurable in the drive parameters—verify these match the brake’s actual response time to avoid dragging.