DEVICE FOR BRAKING A PROCESSING ELEMENT

The invention relates to a brake unit (10) for braking a processing element (V), comprising a guide channel (12) for the processing element (V), wherein: the guide channel (12) comprises a guide-channel inlet (14) and a guide-channel outlet (22); the guide channel comprises at least one curved portion (20) for applying a centrifugal force to the processing element (V) that moves along the guide channel (12) and is to be braked, which centrifugal force presses the processing element (V) against an outer-curvature region (30) of an inner circumferential surface (26) of the curved portion (20); and the at least one curved portion (20) is designed to brake the processing element by means of friction between the inner circumferential surface (26) of the guide channel (12) and the processing element (V) such that the processing element (V) loses at least 50% of its kinetic energy between the guide-channel inlet (14) and the guide-channel outlet (22). The invention also relates to a method for braking a processing element, comprising the following steps: introducing the processing element (V) into a curved portion (20) of a guide channel (12) at an initial speed; generating a centrifugal force acting on the processing element (V); generating a centrifugal-force-induced friction between the processing element (V) and an inner circumferential surface (26) of the curved portion (20) of the guide channel (12); and braking the processing element (V) by means of the centrifugal-force-induced friction to a terminal speed which is at most 75% of the input speed.