Reference
Technical resources
The key motor and brake principles, plus a practical checklist for a feasibility enquiry. Detailed input templates are available on request.
Linear-motor essentials
- Primary: the powered winding produces a travelling magnetic field.
- Reaction plate: a conductor carries induced currents that interact with the field to produce thrust.
- Slip: the field–plate speed difference affects thrust, current and heating.
- Configuration: single-sided uses one active face, usually with a steel-backed plate; double-sided uses two faces around a bare fin.
Compare mounting loads, running gap, space and duty—not just force. See linear induction motors and double-sided arrangements.
Eddy-current braking essentials
Motion between a magnetic field and a conductor creates opposing currents. Braking force varies with speed; the absorbed energy becomes heat. Permanent magnets need no electrical supply to create the field.
No force at standstill. Separate stopping and holding provisions are needed where the system must stop and remain stationary. See the braking guide.
What a feasibility study needs
| Input | Useful details |
|---|---|
| Duty | Entry and exit speeds, travel distance, gradients, stops, dwell and cycle time. |
| Load and targets | Empty and worst-case mass; thrust, acceleration, braking and holding requirements. |
| Space and mounting | Available length, width, gap, structure and preferred motor location. |
| Electrical supply | Available voltage, frequency and current or power limits. |
| Environment | Ambient temperature, cooling and operating conditions. |
| Existing hardware | Reaction plate or rail, drawings and any fixed interfaces. |
Provisional figures are welcome—mark what is not yet fixed. Ask for an input template or worked checklist; these are supplied on request, not as public downloads.
What the analysis tells you
Motor models and FEA estimate electromagnetic performance. Route simulation assesses speed, force and timing; thermal analysis estimates temperatures over repeated cycles.
Read results alongside their inputs, current/gap/temperature limits and remaining validation work. Simulation predicts behaviour; it does not replace physical qualification. See design services and deliverables.
Ready for a feasibility discussion?
Send the information you have; we can identify the gaps together.