Clutch control : the answer to your torque prayers !

13 juillet 2017

Motor innovations

A important point when working with air motors is controlling the torque – whether it’s the starting torque, running torque or stall torque. The starting torque, in particular, can be complex, both to define and then to find an effective way of making it constant and reliable.

This is a key issue in industries where lifting loads is an integral part of operations, but also for many other applications where controlling the torque is vital for optimum performance and safety.

At Modec, we have a solution

Having worked with many clients over the years to find solutions for their individual needs, we knew that the starting torque was regularly identified as presenting difficulties. Companies needed a reliable starting torque, but were often finding their air motor was unable to guarantee a consistent performance, causing uncertainty for their operations and even knock-on problems for their equipment.

Never happy unless we can give our customers full satisfaction, we took the problem to our technical team. And once again they came up with the answer – a centrifugal clutch system incorporated into the motor’s design with the sole aim of making sure the air motor starts at a given torque, every time. The clutch is patented and available only in the Modec range.

How does it work?

The clutch system effectively negates any problems linked to the starting torque arising from the variable resting position of the rotor’s blades by enabling the motor to start without a load. Like warming up a car engine in the morning, the blades rotate freely picking up speed. Then, the centrifugal system engages with the gearbox positioned in front of the motor.

Also, with this system, the starting torque and the stall torque are the same because they depend on the clutch itself and the maximum torque it can carry on.

The answer to your torque prayers

Thanks to the Modec clutch, you can be sure that your motor will start up to a given load, providing of course that it is well lubricated and maintained. It resolves more than 95% of the problems regarding starting torque that operators experience using air motors without a clutch.


All you have to do is contact us at Modec. We have the test bench to calculate the torque and motor you need for your application, and a technical solution that gives you the ability to control the torque throughout the manoeuvre, thanks to our patented clutch design and our torque limiters (for the stall torque).

We look forward to working with you soon.

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Marie-Charlotte Messier
Marie-Charlotte Messier

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