🔍 Key Concepts

• Fail-safe design of brakes on critical machinery like anchor windlasses • The difference between spring-set / hydraulically released and hydraulically-set / spring released brakes • What should happen to the brake if power or control pressure is lost on a heavy load like an anchor

💭 Think About

• If hydraulic power or servo pressure suddenly fails while handling the anchor, would you want the brake to automatically set or automatically release? Why? • In a fail-safe system, is the "safe" condition achieved by the springs or by hydraulic pressure? Think about what happens when all power is gone. • When the pump is brought to zero stroke (no flow), should the system be trying to hold the load or move the load? How should the brake behave in that condition?

✅ Before You Answer

• Decide which is more typical for safety on heavy loads: spring-set, power-released or power-set, spring-released. • Check each answer for what happens on loss of servo power hydraulic pressure – does that result match a fail-safe design? • Make sure the option you pick has the brake in the engaged (holding) condition whenever there is no hydraulic power / zero stroke.