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ABOUT US

At MBS, we manufacture and distribute magnetic contactless brakes and dynamometers. Our dynamometers are designed to test motors and motor controllers, while our brakes vary in power dissipation capability from 1/8 to 100 HP. We are proud to offer water-cooled brakes capable of continuous dissipation of 100 HP. Our largest dynamometers feature two water-cooled brakes and can continuously dissipate 200 HP.

We also offer 100 HP and 200 HP dynamometers with four quadrant capabilities*, particularly for testing motor controller systems. At MBS, we understand that time is of the essence when it comes to testing equipment, so most of our brakes and dynamometers or their components are in stock or can be delivered within two weeks of ordering.

Our clientele consists of many Fortune 500 corporations and the state of California who trust in our equipment and testing services.

* Dynamometers with four quadrant capability include a motor coupled to the drive train and the brakes. This motor can overdrive or overhaul a motor and drive system, which is crucial for testing systems such as cranes and bridge-raising systems. By simulating the weight of the crane load or bridge weight, we can test the power dissipation capability of the motor, motor controller, and braking resistors. Testing on a dynamometer also permits to safely verify that a system can handle all calculated loads without the risk of damaging an expensive structure in the real world. Our four quadrant dynamometers are perfect for testing the state of California's bridge-raising systems, ensuring their safety and reliability.

Located in Southern California, MBS manufactures all its equipment in the USA. MBS staff members are experienced, knowledgeable professionals ready to support clients with their testing needs. 

HISTORY

MBS is a division of Technical Film Systems Inc. (TFS). TFS was incorporated in 1984 and manufactured 35 mm and 70 mm professional motion picture film processing and printing equipment for all the key film laboratories worldwide.

 

Hysteresis brakes have been an integral part of the TFS equipment (i.e. film feed stations, the film rewinds etc.) since about 1986.  Some of the requirements of the film equipment were to be able to stop a 6000 ft (about 30 lbs.) film roll unwinding film at speeds of up to 6000 feet per minutes with a precision +/- .020 inches.  This accuracy was of course achieved by means of digital feedback system.  However, this required a brake with moderate linearity, near zero cogging,  torque of xxxx foot-pounds, near zero stiction, dust free operation, high repeatability,  and of course near maintenance free operation.

 

Research and development on improving existing brakes started at about the same time TFS was incorporated.

 

MBS is a division of TFS.  TFS is a wholly family-owned sub-chapter S corporation.  The late Gunnar Petronius Michelson won an Academy of Arts and Sciences Oscar in 1997 for the engineering and development of the TFS light valves.  Manfred “Mike” George Michelson, now chairman of the board of TFS, was the primary designer of the MBS magnetic brakes.

Our president Markus Gunnar Michelson is the designer of our dynamometers and the associated test software.  We are also proud to have Malgorzata “Gosia” Michelson as our IT and advertising manager.

What we do
Gunnar P. Michelson

Gunnar P. Michelson

Manfred G. Michelson

Manfred G. Michelson

Markus G. Michelson

Markus G. Michelson

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Malgorzata "G." Michelson

History
Engineering Staff

ENGINEERING STAFF

Our engineering staff’s primary duties are R & D in improving our products and serving customers with application problems of our brakes and dynamometers. We have an MS engineering graduate in Control Systems and Applied  Mechanics, a BS graduate in Electronic engineering and a BS in mechanical engineering. Our mechanical designer and production manager has been with the company for 33 years.

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