TS EN IEC 60276

TS EN IEC 60276 establishes the common technical language for carbon brushes used in electrical machinery, together with the related brush holders, commutators and slip-rings. In practical terms, it is a nomenclature and definitions standard for the brush system used in rotating machines, helping users describe the construction of the brush, the markings seen in service, and the parts it interfaces with.

How the terminology is organised

The terms are arranged around two main ideas: brush construction and the markings observed when the brush operates on a rotating machine. This matters because the same brush system may be described differently depending on whether the focus is the part itself, its functional features, or the in-service markings associated with commutators and slip-rings. A shared vocabulary reduces ambiguity in specification, maintenance, inspection and technical documentation.

From a general engineering perspective, carbon brushes are conductive contact elements that transfer current between stationary and rotating parts of electrical machines. Brush holders keep the brush in the correct position, while commutators and slip-rings provide the rotating contact surfaces. This standard is about naming and defining those elements and related observations, not about prescribing the overall design of the machine itself.

What is new in this edition

• Some nomenclature has been deleted or added compared with the previous edition.
• Existing definitions have been expanded and clarified to reflect technical evolution since 1987.
• Additional definitions cover commutator/slip-ring markings, brush markings and commutation sparks codes.
• The scope is limited to carbon brushes for commutators and slip-rings in rotating machines.