Korea Ever-Power · Y2EJ Series · Hoist and Crane Drive Guide

Brake Motor for Overhead Crane and Hoist:
Selection Guide

An overhead crane or chain hoist that uses a standard motor without an integral brake relies entirely on the motor’s back-EMF or a separate external brake to hold a suspended load — neither of which is fail-safe. A brake motor with a spring-applied electromagnetic brake holds the load automatically whenever power is removed, making it the mandatory specification for any hoist where an uncontrolled descent would present a safety or production risk. This guide covers brake torque selection, stop time calculation, duty class, and Korea Ever-Power Y2EJ specifications for crane and hoist applications.

Fail-Safe Spring Brake
Stop Time < 0.3 s
2.0–4.0× Brake Torque
S3 Crane Duty
0.18–45 kW

Fail-safe
Brake holds on power loss
< 0.3 s
Hoist stop time requirement
2.0–4.0×
Brake torque over motor rated
S3 / S4
Crane duty class
0.18–45 kW
Y2EJ hoist power range

Brake motor overhead crane hoist Y2EJ spring applied electromagnetic brake Korea Ever-Power lifting application

Korea Ever-Power Y2EJ series brake motor — the spring-applied electromagnetic brake mounted on the non-drive end engages automatically within milliseconds of power removal, making it the standard and safest drive specification for overhead crane hoist mechanisms where uncontrolled load descent must be prevented.

1. Why Hoists Need a Fail-Safe Brake Motor

A crane hoist lifts and suspends loads against gravity. Whenever the hoist motor is de-energised — whether intentionally at the end of a lift cycle or unintentionally due to a power failure, motor overload trip, or contactor fault — the suspended load will fall under gravity unless a holding mechanism is engaged. The severity of an uncontrolled descent ranges from product damage and crane damage to fatal injury in man-riding or overhead work areas.

Why Motor Back-EMF Is Not Adequate

When power is removed from a standard induction motor, the rotor decelerates due to friction only. There is no regenerative braking action without a power supply, and the motor provides no meaningful retarding torque below approximately 20% of synchronous speed. A hoist motor without a mechanical brake will allow the load to descend under gravity at a speed limited only by rope speed and friction — typically 0.5 to 2.0 m/s for a standard workshop hoist.

Why External Mechanical Brakes Are Not Preferred

An external brake mounted on the hoist gear output shaft or on the load chain drum requires separate mounting, alignment, and control wiring. The brake must be connected to a control signal that coordinates exactly with motor contactor operation — any timing error between motor de-energisation and brake engagement allows load drift. External brakes on hoists also require periodic manual adjustment and are more susceptible to contamination from the crane environment than an integral motor brake.

Why Integral Brake Motor Is the Standard Solution

The Y2EJ brake motor integrates the motor and brake into a single sealed unit sharing one terminal box. The brake DC supply is derived from the same three-phase supply as the motor through an internal rectifier, ensuring the brake releases simultaneously with motor energisation and engages simultaneously with motor de-energisation. There is no external brake wiring, no separate mounting, no timing relay, and no alignment procedure. The integral design eliminates all the coordination failure modes of external brake systems.

2. Spring-Applied Brake: Fail-Safe for Hoist Safety

The Y2EJ brake motor uses a spring-applied, electrically released electromagnetic brake. This is a fail-safe design: the springs hold the brake engaged and the load stationary as the default state. Electrical power is required to release the brake and allow the motor to run. This means that any interruption of power — intentional stop, power failure, overload trip, or emergency stop — automatically engages the brake and stops the load without any control action required.

Hoist Cycle: Power On → Lift → Stop → Hold
Step 1: Energise

Hoist up or down contactor closes. Three-phase supply energises motor winding; DC rectifier energises brake coil. Electromagnet overcomes spring force; brake releases. Motor accelerates to rated speed within 0.5–1.5 s depending on load inertia.

Step 2: Running

Motor lifts or lowers load at rated speed. Brake coil remains energised; brake disc rotates freely without contact. No wear during running phase.

Step 3: Stop and Hold

Contactor opens. Motor and brake coil de-energise simultaneously. Springs engage brake disc within 50–150 ms. Motor decelerates from rated speed to zero in 0.1–0.4 s depending on brake torque and load inertia. Load held stationary indefinitely with no power required.

Power Failure

Same as Step 3 — brake engages automatically. Load is held securely. No auxiliary power supply required for brake holding. This is the fail-safe characteristic that makes the spring-applied brake mandatory for hoist and crane applications.

3. Brake Torque Selection: 1.5× to 4× Rated Motor Torque

The brake torque must be sufficient to decelerate the load from rated hoist speed to zero within the required stop time, and to hold the load stationary against gravity without slipping under the maximum rated load. For hoist applications, the brake torque selection depends on whether the hoist is classified as a material hoist or a man-riding (personnel) hoist, and on the rope system multiplication factor.

Hoist Application Required Stop Time Brake Torque Ratio Regulatory Basis
Man-riding hoist (personnel lift) < 0.15 s 3.0–4.0× rated EN 14492-2; AS 1418.3; local lifting regs
Overhead travelling crane (SWL above 1 t) < 0.25 s 2.0–3.0× rated FEM 1.001; ISO 4301; EN 13001
Chain hoist / workshop hoist < 0.30 s 1.5–2.5× rated EN 14492-1; AS 1418.2
Jib crane / slewing crane hoist < 0.30 s 1.5–2.5× rated EN 13001; local crane regulations
Monorail hoist (under beam) < 0.35 s 1.5–2.0× rated EN 14492-1

Safety note: For man-riding hoists, never rely on the worm gear self-locking property as the primary safety holding mechanism. Self-locking can be lost under vibration, thermal variation of lubricant viscosity, or at gear ratios near the borderline. The EN 14492-2 standard for electric hoists used in man-riding service requires a certified brake with a documented and tested holding torque at least 1.5× the rated suspended load torque, as a separate and independent mechanism from the gear train.

4. Stop Time Calculation for Hoist Brake

Hoist Stop Time Formula and Example
Stop time (seconds):
t = J‑total × ω ÷ (M‑brake − M‑load)
J-total = total inertia at motor shaft (kg·m²)
ω = angular velocity at rated speed (rad/s)
M-brake = brake torque (N·m)
M-load = load torque at motor shaft (N·m)
Workshop hoist example (500 kg load, 2-reeved):
Motor: 0.75 kW, 4-pole, 1,450 rpm
ω = 1,450 × π ÷ 30 = 151.8 rad/s
Motor rated torque = 9,550 × 0.75 ÷ 1,450 = 4.95 N·m
J-total (motor + drum) = 0.012 kg·m²
M-brake (2.0×) = 9.9 N·m; M-load at motor shaft = 1.8 N·m
t = 0.012 × 151.8 ÷ (9.9 − 1.8) = 0.22 s → within 0.30 s limit

Load torque at motor shaft is the load gravitational torque reflected through the rope system, gearbox ratio, and pulley efficiency. For a 2-reeved rope system with a 500 kg load and gearbox ratio of 20:1 with 85% gearbox efficiency: M-load at motor = (500 × 9.81 × 0.1) ÷ (2 × 20 × 0.85) = 490.5 ÷ 34 = 14.4 N·m. Verify that brake torque exceeds this load torque by at least the required safety multiple.

5. Crane Duty Class: S3 and S4

S3 Intermittent Periodic Duty

The motor runs for a defined on-time then stops for a rest time, repeating at regular intervals. The Y2EJ motor nameplate power at S3 duty is rated at a specific cyclic duration factor (CDF) — typically 15%, 25%, or 40% on-time. A Y2EJ motor rated 1.5 kW at S3 25% CDF can produce 1.5 kW during the on-period provided each on-period does not exceed the rated time and the off-period provides adequate cooling. Hoist and crane duty typically falls in the S3 25% to 40% range for normal warehouse and workshop operation.

Typical: workshop chain hoist, small overhead crane, jib crane up to 60 lifts/hour
S4 Intermittent Periodic with Starting

S4 duty accounts for the thermal losses during frequent starting as a significant portion of total motor heating, not just running losses. For intensively cycled cranes making more than 60 lifts per hour — steel plant cranes, container cranes, and high-throughput industrial cranes — the motor must be selected for S4 duty or the starts per hour must be verified against the Y2EJ maximum permissible starting frequency. Korea Ever-Power Y2EJ series motors are rated for up to 240 braking operations per hour in continuous cyclic service.

Typical: production overhead crane, container handling, AS/RS stacker crane hoist

6. Korea Ever-Power Y2EJ for Crane and Hoist

The Korea Ever-Power Y2EJ series brake motor is the standard specification for chain hoists, workshop overhead cranes, jib cranes, and monorail hoists. The integral spring-applied electromagnetic brake provides a static holding torque of 1.5 to 4.0 times rated motor torque depending on the size and brake model selected — covering the full range from light workshop chain hoists through heavy-duty production crane applications. The full Y2EJ range is available in the brake motor product section.

For hoist applications requiring very fast stop times (below 0.15 s for man-riding) or for crane bridges where long cross-travel distances require accurate stopping at shelf positions, Korea Ever-Power recommends contacting the technical team for a motor brake system sizing specific to the application duty class, rope system, and required stop distance.

Y2EJ — Crane and Hoist Data
Power range 0.18–45 kW
Poles (hoist) 4P (1,450 rpm) standard
Brake type Spring-applied, DC released
Brake coil voltage 24 V DC (integral rectifier)
Stop time (typical) 0.10–0.40 s
Brake torque ratio 1.5–4.0× rated motor torque
Max starts/hour 240 braking ops/hour
Manual release Standard on all models
Protection IP54 motor + brake

7. Crane and Hoist Applications

Brake motor overhead crane bridge travel hoist lifting industrial application Korea Ever-Power Y2EJ

Overhead Travelling Crane (EOT Crane)

Single-girder and double-girder electric overhead travelling (EOT) cranes in workshops and warehouses use Y2EJ brake motors for the hoist mechanism in the 0.75 to 15 kW range at 4-pole (1,450 rpm) with rope drum gearboxes. Bridge travel and cross-travel drives use separate Y2EJ motors in the 0.37 to 3.0 kW range to provide accurate positioning and load-free stopping at the end of each traverse. Brake torque 2.0 to 3.0 times rated for all EOT crane hoist motors; IP54 enclosure is standard for indoor industrial crane applications.

Brake motor workshop jib crane monorail chain hoist lifting application

Chain Hoists and Workshop Lifting Equipment

Electric chain hoists from 0.25 to 5 t use Y2EJ brake motors in the 0.18 to 2.2 kW range. The brake motor is the core component of every electrically operated chain hoist design — it lifts the chain at rated speed, holds the load indefinitely when stopped, and limits descent speed during lowering. Korea Ever-Power Y2EJ 4-pole brake motors with 1.5 to 2.5 times rated brake torque are the standard specification for chain hoist OEM manufacturers requiring a compact, reliable, and cost-effective hoist motor unit.

Jib Crane and Pillar Crane

Workshop jib cranes and pillar-mounted slewing cranes up to 2 t use Y2EJ 0.37 to 2.2 kW for hoist, and separate Y2EJ or standard motors for the slewing drive. Compact 4-pole Y2EJ fits within the standard hoist trolley envelope without increasing crane hook path dimensions.

Monorail and Under-Beam Hoist

Monorail hoist systems in automotive assembly, food processing, and warehouse pick-and-place use Y2EJ 0.18 to 3.0 kW with precise stopping for positioning at work stations. Brake motor ensures load does not drift between work stations when hoist motor stops.

Dock Leveller and Loading Bay

Dock leveller lip and platform drive motors require fail-safe braking to hold the leveller at any intermediate position during vehicle loading. Y2EJ 0.37 to 0.75 kW with 2.0 times brake torque is the standard specification for powered dock leveller drive units.

Goods Lift and Mezzanine Lift

Goods lifts and mezzanine freight lifts (not passenger lifts) use Y2EJ brake motors with 2.0 to 3.0 times rated brake torque. The Y2EJ 4-pole 0.75 to 5.5 kW range covers goods lifts up to approximately 500 kg SWL with standard travel speeds of 0.15 to 0.30 m/s.

Korea Ever-Power Y2EJ motor rotor production

Rotor Production

Korea Ever-Power brake motor testing

Brake Test

Korea Ever-Power CE ISO certification crane motor

CE and ISO Certified

Korea Ever-Power global crane motor customers

Global Customers

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a VFD with a Y2EJ brake motor on a hoist for smooth lowering speed control?

Yes, but the brake control must be handled carefully. When a Y2EJ brake motor is driven by a VFD, the internal brake rectifier cannot take its DC supply from the VFD output — it must be supplied from a separate mains-connected rectifier. The brake release and engagement must be coordinated with the VFD start and stop commands through the control system, with a controlled delay to ensure the VFD has established full speed control before the brake releases, and the brake engages before the VFD output is removed. For variable-speed hoist applications, Korea Ever-Power recommends using the YVF2 inverter-duty motor for the hoist drive, with a separate DC braking module and a safety-rated brake contactor that meets the crane duty cycle requirements. Please contact our technical team for a full variable-speed hoist specification.

How do I test the brake on an installed Y2EJ hoist motor?

Brake testing on a hoist motor should be carried out with a suspended test load equal to 125% of the hoist rated safe working load (SWL) per EN 14492 or the applicable local standard. With the test load suspended at approximately 300 mm above the floor, de-energise the hoist motor and observe that the load stops within the required time and does not drift during a 10-minute static hold period. The stop distance at rated speed divided by the time period gives the average deceleration rate, which can be compared against the brake specification. Annual brake testing with rated load is recommended as part of the crane inspection schedule. If the brake shows drift under rated load, the air gap between armature and electromagnet face must be checked and adjusted per the Y2EJ maintenance procedure before returning the hoist to service.

What is the difference between the hoist motor brake torque ratio and the crane safety factor?

The brake torque ratio (for example, 2.5 times rated motor torque) describes the relationship between the brake holding torque and the motor continuous running torque. This ratio determines the deceleration rate and stop time. The crane safety factor (typically 3:1 to 5:1 on wire rope, 4:1 on chain) describes the ratio between the equipment breaking strength and the rated working load. These are independent parameters. A hoist can have a 3.0 times brake torque ratio (meaning the brake can produce three times the torque the motor produces at rated load) while the wire rope and hook assembly maintain a 4:1 safety factor on breaking load. Both must be specified correctly for the application — brake torque ratio determines stopping performance; crane safety factor determines structural integrity under overload and dynamic forces.

 

Korea Ever-Power · Y2EJ Series · Crane and Hoist Brake Motors

Need a Brake Motor for Your Crane or Hoist?

Korea Ever-Power Y2EJ series: spring-applied fail-safe brake, 0.18–45 kW, 2P through 8P, IP54, manual release, in stock for immediate delivery. Technical hoist sizing support available.

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Edited by Cxm