Clutches and brakes are the cornerstones of safety and reliability in rotating equipment. They hold, stop, or index loads in motion designs. As several industries push forward to develop equipment for both new and changing markets, and with a firm hold on their commitment to high quality and successful product launch, there has been a rising trend toward the demand for application-specific clutch and brake components. In other words, ‘customization’ started becoming the new ‘standardization.’ Fortunately, for Ogura Industrial’s clients, procuring customized, built-to-last clutches and brakes for specific equipment needs has never been a hassle.

For decades,Ogura has been considered a yardstick for bringing innovation into the clutch and brake manufacturing space. In that regard, Ogura is one of the early adopters of robotics technology in electromagnetic clutch and brake manufacturing. This was anchored by its strong position in the automotive market. Owing to its dedicated design team responsible for leveraging such innovative technologies in its production workflow, Ogura has been the epitome of improved quality at lower costs since its start.

Today,Ogura’s reliable electromagnetic clutches, electromagnetic brakes, and clutch brakes are used in many types of high speed, high cycle rate, and long life machines, including robotics, warehouse automation, medical equipment, paper handling equipment like ATMs and printers, and other automation equipment—most of which are designed according to a clients’ unique and specific performance goals. Ogura’s strength is to work with OEMs, early on in the design, so that they can tailor the product to what their customers need.

The company’s path to becoming one of the best manufacturers of electromagnetic brakes and clutches can be traced as early as 1938, when it started developing mechanical clutches. Since then, Ogura has been accumulating unparalleled skill and clients.

Today, the company has their manufacturing methods conforming to ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO/ TS16949, and others, making its brakes’ build quality standards second to none.“Moreover, our industrial product line is one of the widest in the entire industry; we have more than 5000 different existing designs of clutches and brakes for applications requiring .01 ounce-inches to 25,000 pound-foot of torque,” highlights Brian Mather, sales manager at Ogura Industrial.

Interestingly, the solution portfolio of Ogura does not end with just the manufacturing of customized braking systems. The company is playing a crucial role in the ‘electrification race.’ “Where once vehicles and equipment were powered with combustion engines and functioned with hydraulics and pneumatics, electrification is paving the way for more essential and beneficial applications for electromagnetic clutches and brakes. It also applies to functions that may have been performed manually in the past such as warehousing or surgical robotics,” mentions Mather. “With our specialized manufacturing capabilities, we can deliver exactly what the clients need to accelerate the electrification journey, and much more.”

To best explain how these capabilities help Ogura’s clients, Mather shares an instance where Ogura helped a manufacturing company improve the braking systems in their products. The design improvements made in the brake module by Ogura enabled the client to improve the lifecycle of their products by almost 250 percent, which in turn, allowed the client to offer a longer warranty to their customers. Needless to say, they began witnessing a significant rise in customer satisfaction.

This is but one of the many success stories that the company has penned in the industry. Currently, Ogura has many new projects in their pipeline. The company is also helping designers by sharing experiences and know-how while also providing 3D models of their products for quick and easy evaluation. Simultaneously, the company is also increasing its collaboration with trusted brands across the industry to expand its portfolio. With such impressive developments on the way, there is no doubt that Ogura has an electrifying future ahead!