2022 Smart encoders & actuators
December
Advantages of Installing Draw-Wire Encoders Draw-wire encoders are a little-known type of measuring system. So they are occasionally taken into consideration when it comes to designing a new solution for industrial applications. Yet there are a number of good reasons why designers should appreciate their functional characteristics and discover that sometimes they can be an excellent answer to measuring needs.
What is a draw-wire encoder?
Why a draw-wire encoder?
A draw-wire encoder is a measuring system that is ba- Consider that the encoder-drum assembly (the fixed sically made up of two parts integrated in the single and also the most delicate part of the device) and the device: stainless-steel wire that is attached to the mechanism to be measured (the mobile and also the most rugged 1. a rotary encoder, it can be either optical or magne- part) can be considered in some way as two separate tic, with incremental, absolute, and analogue outputs components. Thus, the encoder-drum assembly can be installed away (a potentiometer can be installed as well); from the wire and the axis to be monitored. For this 2. a stainless-steel measuring wire having different reason, the assembly can be mounted in a safe, easily lengths (Lika’s range varies from 2 m up to 50 m / from accessible, and adequately protected place while the 3.28 ft up to 164 ft). It is wound on a spring-wired drum stainless-steel cable, installed in a separate place, can be submitted to harsh environmental conditions at the and then pulled out and rewound during operation. The stainless-steel wire is attached to the moving same time, i.e. dirty, humidity, high temperatures, etc. axis being measured. The encoder is coupled to the Furthermore, by virtue of the small footprint of the spring-wired drum, so as the cable moves back and for- cable, the operational space required by the wire th, the encoder is rotated. In this way, the linear mo- can be very tight, even a few centimetres wide, sintion of the wire is translated into a rotary motion ce the encoder can be mounted in a different and larger by the drum and then into a positional information place. by the encoder. Additionally, the wire’s flexibility enables curved travels A further benefit is that the cable-pulling mechanism can be coupled to any encoder which preserves the through guiding rollers. same complete set of functions as the standard encoder. This provides excellent flexibility in terms of applications and environments.