Clamping With Your Jaws

Advanced Machine & Engineering Co. (Rockford, IL) now offers Sitema Safety Catchers from Sitema GmbH, which are clamping devices that mount around shafts to support vertical loads. The catches help decelerate and stop falling loads, preventing personal injury or damage to equipment. A series of wedged clamping jaws are arranged inside the housing, held in a raised position so the shaft can move freely. If a loss of pressure occurs, releasing the plungers, the clamping jaws engage, stopping the falling load. In addition, the jaws only release the load once it beings to move upward again, thus the condition that caused the shaft to drop must be corrected before operation can continue.