Regal Rexnord is bringing the mining industry to a standstill with its Twiflex range of brakes and accessories.
It all started in the 1940s when a flexible coupling business launched on the streets of Twickenham in the UK.
Now a global advanced braking pioneer and part of Regal Rexnord, the Twiflex name continues to honour its origins.
Twiflex offers a range of pneumatically, hydraulically, and mechanically applied industrial disc brake callipers, along with a full line of thrusters, disc brake systems, flexible couplings, and shafts clutch couplings.
According to Regal Rexnord New South Wales state manager Daemon Flack, Twiflex complements Regal Rexnord’s dedicated mining brakes brand, Svendborg.
“We have the mining sector covered with Svendborg Brakes,” Flack told Australian Mining. “But we see major potential to bring value to the Australian mining sector by growing Twiflex’s presence.”
Image: Regal Rexnord
Twiflex braking systems boast applications ranging from grinding mills to conveyors and can also support machinery such as overhead cranes in preparation plants.
Flack highlighted the unique ‘parked-off’ position of Twiflex’s modular callipers, meaning there is no stored energy left in the brake calliper.
“When it comes time for maintenance like pad replacement, brakes without a parked-off position contain stored energy that can cause sudden movements and leave technicians at risk of losing fingers,” Flack said. “Twiflex’s modular callipers remove that risk altogether.
“It’s a feature unique to Twiflex that significantly boosts safety.”
Flack said safety is a priority for Twiflex, both in practice and product quality.
“There are some instances where the organic material of competitor brake pads can contain asbestos,” he said. “Twiflex is strictly compliant with Australian certifications, ensuring the quality of our products and the safety of the workers that use them.”
It’s this dedication to quality, Flack said, that’s been a pillar of Twiflex’s growth both internationally and in the Australian market.
“The Twiflex name is renowned for its sustainability and reliability,” he said. “Brakes come back to our service division after five years or more. They’re then refurbished and sent back into commission for another five years.”
Twiflex’s turn-key products are also part of a range of hydraulic packages customers are coming to rely on.
“We continually look for bespoke applications where Twiflex products can help customers reach a new level of efficiency and productivity,” Flack said. “We can fit the bill of any application with custom brake packages and hydraulic power packs.”
Twiflex brake packages combine spring applied, hydraulically released calliper brakes with the state-of-the-art LCS hydraulic power unit mounted on a custom fabricated base.
“These compact units feature a small footprint enabling them to fit into applications with limited space available,” Flack said.
“Complete, ready-to-install brake assemblies from Twiflex provide time-saving convenience while ensuring component compatibility and optimised performance.”
Twiflex engineers routinely configure custom brake package solutions to meet individual original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications.
“A range of Twiflex spring applied, hydraulically released brake models can be incorporated into the design to achieve specific braking requirements,” Flack said.
“Certain size dual brake configurations can be utilised for higher braking torque applications.”
No matter the challenge, Twiflex, through its parent company Regal Rexnord, isn’t far away with service centres and distributors across Australia ready to launch into action with engineering support for its mining customers.
“We have national coverage for servicing customer brakes,” Flack said. “From engineering backup to sales support, we’re here to help Twiflex customers level up their operations one brake at a time.”
This feature appeared in the July 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
