04 Jul 2017

Menzel advises on carbon brush care

Many plant standstills could therefore be easily avoided through careful selection, professional handling and routine maintenance of the carbon brushes used in the motors, points out Menzel Elektromotoren from Berlin.

Carbon brushes appear to be cheap wear parts, but are actually important motor components that significantly affect a motor's properties, durability and overall performance.

Many plant standstills could therefore be easily avoided through careful selection, professional handling and routine maintenance of the carbon brushes used in the motors, points out special motor manufacturer Menzel Elektromotoren from Berlin. 

"Operators often underestimate how important the plant-specific selection and quality of carbon brushes is for a smooth-running operation", says Mathis Menzel, third-generation CEO of the family-owned company.

At one customer's plant, Menzel's engineers found that the failure of a brand-new motor after just 24 hours had been caused by unsuitable, locally purchased carbon brushes – not a rare case unfortunately. Brush sparking then led to the destruction of the slip ring surface.

Aside from the material composition, the required brush quality also depends on location-specific factors such as humidity, ambient temperature, and uniformity of load. "Time and again we also encounter a need for information regarding mechanical fit and manual handling of the brushes," says Mathis Menzel.

"For example, one should never mix brushes of a different type or from different manufacturers and also never use brushes that are worn down more than 50%.“ 

Motor supplier Menzel supports operators in choosing suitable brushes for their application and provides comprehensive consultation in all matters ranging from quality of the material to the correct fit. The company offer their services and take questions 24 hours a day, all year round.