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Permanent-magnet eddy-current brakes

Passive, contactless braking for moving loads. No electrical supply is needed to generate the braking force; stopping and holding requirements are assessed separately.

Braking force and speed

Relative motion between permanent magnets and a conductive plate induces eddy currents. These oppose motion and turn kinetic energy into heat in the plate. There are no contacting brake pads.

Force varies with speed, gap, plate properties and magnet arrangement. It can peak and then fall at high speed, so the full force–speed curve must match the duty.

No zero-speed holding force. Eddy-current force falls to zero at standstill. Where a vehicle must be held at a station or on a slope, the system needs a separate holding brake.

Where the magnets sit

Mounting options
Design choiceTrack-mounted magnetsVehicle-mounted magnets
Vehicle carriesA passive conductive plate or fin.The magnet assembly.
Track carriesMagnets throughout the braking zone.A passive conductive rail.
Trade-offLight vehicles; magnet cost follows braking-zone length.More moving mass; simpler passive track.

Diagram: track-mounted magnets

Illustration · not to scale. Scroll sideways if needed.

SS · TRACK PERMANENT-MAGNET BRAKE · FIXED TO TRACK braking force on vehicle The vehicle reaches the fixed magnet brake at speed. Its fin cuts the field — eddy currents brake the vehicle, with no contact.

The vehicle carries the conductor; the magnets remain in the braking zone.

Diagram: vehicle-mounted magnets

Illustration · not to scale. Scroll sideways if needed.

SS · VEHICLE CONDUCTIVE REACTION PLATES · FIXED TO TRACK braking force on vehicle Now the magnets ride on the vehicle, sweeping conductive fins set along the track. The moving magnets induce eddy currents in the fins — braking the vehicle, no contact.

The vehicle carries the magnets; the conducting rail remains in the track.

Single- or double-sided?

A double-sided caliper places magnets on both sides of the fin. Both faces contribute braking, and a symmetric layout can balance forces on the fin. The frame must still carry the internal magnetic loads.

We compare force, space, clearance and support requirements against a single-sided arrangement.

Duty, heat and system safety

  • Thermal: the plate absorbs braking energy. Check its cooling and both plate and magnet temperature limits over repeated stops.
  • Power loss: permanent magnets remain active without an electrical supply. This can support an emergency-braking design, but does not establish whole-system safety.
  • Wear: no pad contact removes that wear mechanism; temperature, clearance and inspection requirements remain.
  • Assessment: model the force–speed curve, braking distance and thermal duty, with the holding strategy defined separately.

Size a brake to your duty

Tell us the mass, speed range, braking distance and stop rate.

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