POSITAL’s measuring wheels: Precision in motion for enhanced linear-position, speed sensing

Measuring wheel and rotary encoder – A great team for linear motion control

POSITAL-Fraba offers a convenient, accurate means of measuring linear motion in conveyor systems, the manufacture of rolled products, and other relevant applications: its measuring wheels and accessories. When users combine them with the producer’s versatile, programmable IXARC encoders, these measuring wheels offer a powerful tool for linear-position and speed sensing.

Available with circumferences of 200 millimetres, 500 millimetres, or one foot, these measuring wheels (including mounting accessories, components, and full assemblies) are accessible through POSITAL’s online Product Finder portal.

Resolution defined by software parameters

Recent upgrades to the IXARC line have simplified the configuration of wheel-equipped encoders to comply with specific user needs. But while these encoders are ideal for measuring rotation, measurement of linear position or speed is also required in many production processes. Adding a measuring wheel to an IXARC encoder results in a versatile solution for making these measurements.

Wheel-encoder assemblies measure position and speed directly from a moving surface, avoiding errors stemming from gear backlash or hysteresis that may arise when encoders are directly connected to rollers or drives. For cut-to-length applications, measuring product position directly from the surfaces of such materials as fabric, paper, wire, or sheet metal can boost accuracy while lowering scrap losses. Users get resolutions as fine as 1/10 of a millimetre per pulse for all available wheel sizes with these wheel-encoder combinations.

The heart of the wheel/encoder assembly, IXARC incremental encoders are programmable, and resolution is defined by software parameters, which users can modify without any changes to mechanical parts. POSITAL can customize these sets to meet the specific needs of any application: the manufacturer offers frequently used resolutions like 1,000, 1,024, and 2,048 pulses per resolution (PPR), plus resolutions of up to 16,384 PPR, and output drivers can be set to either Push-Pull or RS422 to ensure compatibility with PLCs. Wheel/encoder sets can also be reconfigured onsite through simple software updates if production equipment is later modified.

POSITAL offers four rim treatments – knurled aluminum, smooth polyurethane, and two tread patterns for the polyurethane tire – plus several spring-loaded mounting-bracket and pivot-arm assemblies designed to minimize slippage.

For more information, contact POSITAL.

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