Standardised servo motor brakes combine greater choice with reduced lead times

Matrix has expanded its range of standardised servo motor brakes (SMBs) designed to match popular motor sizes.

The expansion offers greater diversity for the most common frame sizes as well as increased capacity at the top end of the range.

The result?

Customers now have greater selection of optimal braking solutions and the ability to service larger applications, all on reduced lead times.

Matrix’s experience in the servomotor sector and understanding of customer needs has guided the development of the SMB range.



The new 5Nm SMB090 increases the SMB range’s coverage for the most competitive motor size range, where specific size and torque are critical for customer requirements.

In addition, the 32 Nm SMB155 provides a solution for larger servomotor applications where high torque and robust design are required.

The principle of the SMB range is to deliver a rapid solution to the customer by standardising the product, reducing front end design work and streamlining development.

That isn’t to say these brakes don’t offer specialised performance though, through experienced design and years of sustained background development, Matrix has created a product perfectly suited for most servomotor applications, including robotics, industrial automation, remote operated vehicles (ROVs), medical and printing among others.

Delivering an impressive force-to-size ratio for a greater performance envelope, the Matrix standardised SMB range offers precision in a compact package.

A new proprietary friction material, developed by Altra experts, ensures stable static and dynamic torque up to 120 °C, along with excellent wear resistance properties. The result is a highly reliable, innovative brake that can provide effective static holding capabilities for load positioning along with consistent dynamic torque in emergency stop situations.

Matrix, a leading brand of the Altra Industrial Motion Corp, is an experienced lean manufacturer and all SMB components are produced and assembled in-house utilising lean manufacturing principles.

These help to deliver improved quality, reduced lead times (with little implication from batch size) and the flexibility to adapt to changing customer demand.

This flexibility enables the SMB range to be marketed with a range of pre-defined and customisable options to better suit the brake to customer applications. Users can specify rear, flange or magnet mounting to fit their motor chassis.

Electrical connections, lead wire lengths and operating voltage are also open to specification, allowing easier integration into existing motor control systems.

Furthermore, hubs with various drive types are available as standard options or with bespoke specifications, ensuring optimum shaft fitment.

Lewis Lovie, Development Engineer at Matrix, expanded on the new SMB additions: “Our design principle for the SMB range was to create a brake which works over a broad range of dynamic and static applications across multiple working environments. As with the rest of the range, the key point behind the new size expansion was to deliver a reactive solution for our customers. We now offer a greater breadth of brakes, meaning the customer has more choice to meet their needs whilst also ensuring optimum lead-time.”