Rotary Encoders

What is a Rotary Encoder?

Rotary Encoders, or shaft encoders, are electromechanical sensory devices commonly used in industrial applications that convert motion into an analogue or digital signal. Rotary encoders, as the name suggests, monitor the position of the shaft or axle via rotation and convert it into a readable signal.

Rotary Encoders generally come in two variants, absolute and incremental. Absolute encoders create a unique digital code for each angle of the rotating shaft and can maintain their positional information even when powered down. Absolute encoders include mechanical, optical, capacitive, and magnetic versions.

Where are Rotary Encoders used?

Incremental encoders immediately report changes in position, but they will not report or keep a track of the absolute position. This means that the mechanical system monitored by an incremental encoder will most likely need to be moved to a fixed reference point to initialise the position measurement. Rotary Encoders are commonly used in applications that require precise, unlimited shaft rotation monitoring, such as robotics, electronics, and production processing.

Kempston Controls stocks an range of rotary encoders from leading manufacturers such as Hengstler, Pepperl + Fuchs, Omron and SICK, designed to suit many applications. Give our dedicated sales team a call on +44 (0) 1933 411411 or use the contact form above to discuss your rotary encoder requirements.