Application
Linear motors for people movers
Propulsion sized for repeated starts, station stops and gradients. Axis supplies the motor, with an optional permanent-magnet brake.
Size for the service pattern
Linear-motor thrust acts across an air gap rather than through wheel grip. The route still determines the required force: gradients, loaded mass, acceleration and resistance must all be included.
We assess the complete cycle—pull-away, cruise, braking, station dwell and repetition. Your drive and controls shape the acceleration and approach to each stop within the motor’s electrical and thermal limits.
Where the motor sits
| Design choice | Motor on vehicle | Motor in track |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle | Carries the powered primary. | Carries a passive reaction plate. |
| Route | Passive reaction rail follows the driven route. | Powered motor zones with section control. |
| Selection | Balance fleet motor count and moving mass against continuous-rail cost. | Balance simpler vehicles against track equipment and control requirements. |
Route length, fleet size, stop spacing and maintenance access determine the choice; neither arrangement is automatically better.
Braking and holding
A suitable motor and drive can provide electromagnetic braking. A permanent-magnet eddy-current brake adds passive dynamic braking without friction pads or an electrical supply.
A separate holding brake is needed wherever the vehicle must remain stationary. Eddy-current braking falls to zero at standstill. Low-speed stopping, platform holding and gradient safety belong to the wider system design.
Motor supply, not a complete transit system
Axis sizes, simulates and supplies the motor and optional magnetic brake. Vehicle, track, controls, holding brake and operation of the service remain with you or your integrator.
- Share empty and loaded mass, speeds, stop spacing and gradients.
- Include dwell times, service frequency, supply limits and the running gap.
Specifying people-mover propulsion?
Send the route and service duty.