KEVOS® MAKEOS · Mechanics
Buffer Stop Design (Impact Energy, Stroke, Force and Deceleration)
What buffer stroke stops this moving carriage within my force and deceleration limits, and what peak force reaches the end stop structure?
Design of an end buffer for a moving carriage, trolley or crane: kinetic energy at impact (as the impact load tool, moving mode), extra energy from a drive force that keeps pushing through the stroke, peak buffer force and deceleration for a spring buffer (force rising linearly) or a hydraulic buffer (near-constant force at its efficiency), the stroke needed to stay within your deceleration limit, and checks of force and deceleration.
Open the calculatorRuns in your browser. No account needed.
How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Moving mass | kg | Mass of the moving carriage and its load. |
| Impact speed | m/s | Speed at which it reaches the buffer (often a share of full speed, from the standard you follow). |
| Drive force continuing through the stroke | N | Drive or gravity force that keeps pushing during the stroke (0 if the drive is cut). |
| Buffer type | choice | Hydraulic buffers give a near-constant force; springs and elastomers build force with stroke. |
| Hydraulic buffer efficiency | % | How close the hydraulic buffer comes to a constant force (force = energy ÷ (efficiency × stroke)). |
| Buffer stroke | mm | Working stroke of the buffer. |
| Largest deceleration allowed | g | Largest deceleration the load and people allow. |
| Largest force the end stop can take | kN | Largest force the end stop and its fixings can take. |
Method and formulas
- Kinetic energy E = ½ m v² (as the impact load tool, moving mode); total energy = E + F_d s.
- Spring: peak force = 2E_total ÷ s; hydraulic: peak force ≈ E_total ÷ (η s).
- Peak deceleration = (peak force − F_d) ÷ m; stroke for the limit found by search.
- Example: 2000 kg at 1 m/s carries 1,000 J; a 100 mm hydraulic buffer peaks at 11.111 kN and 0.56651 g.
Limitations
- Rigid carriage and end stop; structure flexibility adds stroke and lowers force.
- Spring buffers return energy: rebound must be acceptable.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Size buffers for a crane or transfer car
- Check an end stop for a faster speed
- Compare spring and hydraulic buffers
Who it is for
- Machine designers
- Crane engineers
- Safety engineers
What you get
- Impact and total energy
- Peak force and deceleration for the stroke
- Stroke needed for the deceleration limit
Interpreting the result
- A hydraulic buffer of the same stroke has about half the peak force of a spring buffer.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 179–186. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
WORKOS tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.
Open the Buffer Stop Design (Impact Energy, Stroke, Force and Deceleration) calculator
