The Problem
The company was having trouble finding the right combination of price, performance, and capability for their motion feedback devices. They had tried several encoder vendors without success, and they were facing a delivery deadline for their newest system.
The machinery’s precise measurements and cuts necessitated an encoder that offered quadrature output to accurately report the direction of shaft rotation. In addition, reliability and high resolution were critical requirements to support the machinery’s high efficiency.
The right encoder for this machinery also needed to withstand a demanding sawmill environment. In addition to the standard heat, dust and humidity of most industrial environments, the encoder needed to include sealed bearings and have a housing that would protect it from a constant onslaught of sawdust.
The company had one other, unique challenge the encoder would face: it had to be used as a step. The installation positioning of one of the required encoders caused it to be used as a step to reach certain parts of the saw during routine maintenance; not only did the encoder need to be large enough to provide a toe-hold, the housing would need to take the weight of the operator.
The Solution
After considering these wide-ranging and very specific requirements, EPC recommended the Model 716 Incremental Shaft Cube Accu-Coder® in an HD-10 Ultra Heavy Duty Housing.
The original industry-standard cube encoder, EPC’s Model 716 Accu-Coder® offers quadrature output and resolutions up to 10,000 CPR. With its ultra heavy-duty housing construction, the HD-10 was ideally suited for this demanding application. At 3” x 3” x 6”, the Model 716 is large enough to provide a toe hold, and rugged enough to stand up to use as a step for the operator. As an additional protection, EPC modified the housing to allow the connector to exit on the side, rather than on the top, to prevent accidental damage to the cable when they used the encoder as a step.
The Model 716 also offers a mechanically isolated internal encoder, with sealed bearings, so it can hold up to the rigors of the demanding sawmill environment. The advanced Opto-ASIC circuitry – a single chip design that eliminates many board level components – increases the reliability of an already dependable and durable encoder.
The Model 716 passed all of the customer’s tests with flying colors, and has become their standard encoder for this system. In addition, because of EPC’s prompt follow-up and willingness to work with this company to arrive at a solution that exactly fit their requirements, EPC became their first choice for all of their motion feedback needs.
