POSITAL launches new generation of Kit encoders

POSITAL has now announced a major upgrade to its family of 36mm Kit encoders designed for motion control applications. As part of the company's NEXTGEN programme, the product upgrades include higher resolution, more compact form factors, better dust protection and simpler installation steps.

A Kit encoder, or modular encoder, is an encoder designed to be integrated into a motor or other rotating device to provide position feedback to a control system. While retaining many of the features of POSITAL's stand-alone mounted absolute encoders, Kit encoders are stripped of their individual shafts and bearings. When mounted to a motor, a permanent magnet is mounted directly to the motor's rotating shaft and the encoder module is mounted directly to the motor housing.The Kit encoder has the advantage of being rugged, cost-effective, and providing accurate position feedback to the rotating shaft, allowing inexpensive brushless or stepper motors to perform the functions of a servomotor. Thousands of motors or machines are now fitted with Kit encoders.

The key innovation that marks the new generation of Kit encoders is the use of TMR (Tunneling Magneto Resistive) technology for rotary position sensing. TMR sensors offer more accurate measurement of magnetic field variations, lower temperature sensitivity and lower power consumption compared to the previous generation of Hall elements. more stable performance. For the multiturn counting part, the combination of the new ASIC and the new generation of Wegen sensors provides a self-powered rotary counter. With this system, every revolution of the host shaft is accurately recorded in the encoder's non-volatile memory, even in the event of a power failure. Batteries are no longer required for the storage of the number of revolutions.

The encapsulation of the new 36mm Kit encoder has also been redesigned to make it easier to install and to improve protection against dust and contaminants. Compared to the previous generation's 23.4mm high enclosure dimensions, the new generation has a height of 19.3mm, making it easier to install in tight spaces. In order to simplify the installation process, the number of fixing screws between the encoder and the motor housing has been reduced from four to two. The previous generation's mounting tabs on the protective housing have been eliminated, and the protective housing and measuring module have been integrated into a separate unit. The cable clamps have also been sealed to protect against dust and solid particles.