A Study on High-output MR (Magneto-rheological) Brake for Tension Control

장력제어용 고출력 MR 브레이크

MR fluid is a suspension of micrometer-sized magnetizable particles in silicon oil and a functional fluid whose apparent viscosity can be controlled by the applied magnetic field strength. In this paper, a rotary brake using MR fluid called MR brake for tension control of precision machinery such as roll-to-roll printing machinery is presented. First, to obtain the higher performance than conventional powder brake, a MR brake with a modified rotor shape is newly designed and analyzed using FEM. Second, the prototype of MR brake is fabricated with the optimized structural parameters and an experimental apparatus is constructed. Then, basic characteristics of the MR brake are investigated with the different MR fluids. Finally, the validity of the developed MR brake is verified through the comparison with the conventional powder brake.