First optical multi-turn encoder without gears

02 May 2009

In encoder land, this is considered “a little technological revolution.” Of course technology companies are always saying things like this, but the engineers at Kübler insist that, in this case, the term is fitting. The new encoder technology, developed with the Sendix F36 series, aims to spur on applications in the future; while at the same time getting rid of technological disadvantages such as wear and ageing or magnetic sensitivity.

The designers got rid of the gears and the battery in order to make the product smaller.

This bearing assembly, which accounts for the extreme ruggedness and long service life, takes up two-thirds of the overall depth of the encoder. The non-contact optical technology in the F36 series gives it a service life that Kübler says is unmatched by any other product. For the first time, they say, the Sendix ruggedness can now be offered in an 8 millimetre hollow-shaft or a 10 millimetre blind-hollow shaft with the overall size of just 36 millimetres.

The design includes a considerable reduction in the number of component parts compared with conventional encoders. Giving up the gears increases the service life and doing without a battery allows more compact dimensions. The tangential cable outlet reduces the overall size even more.

A state-of-the-art OptoASIC lies at the heart of the F36 Sendix series.

The total resolution is up to 41 bits. This results from the combination of a programmable multi-turn encoder with up to 16 million revolutions and a high-precision single-turn with up to 17 bits resolution.

For drives that need to be especially compact and economical, or in sectors that demand particularly flat solutions, such as drive engineering or medical technology, then the advantages offered by the large 8 mm hollow shaft or the 10 mm blind hollow shaft become evident.

Kübler boasts that it is now rare to hear arguments in favour of using potentiometers. Their new generation of encoders “must surely now make them a thing of the past.”

Franz Kübler GmbH
www.kuebler.com


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