Whether it is AMR or autonomous mobile robots, AGC or automated guided carts, AGV or automated guided vehicles, various types of robots or robotics are increasingly important to the industry. They use these robots to move parts and materials from one place to another in every environment. For instance, goods move from manufacturing to warehouse, and thence to grocery stores to face customers.
It is important that these automated machines work correctly because precision is a vital requirement. This requires reliable motion feedback to the controllers. This is where encoders come in. For instance, autonomous motion applications requiring motion feedback are useful in steering assembly, drive motors, lift controls, and more.
The industry uses several automated carts and vehicles. They use them for lifting products and materials onto and from shelves and floors in warehouses and other storage areas. To do that reliably and repeatedly, these machines require accurate and precise motion feedback. This ensures that materials and products reach where they need to go, without incurring damages.
The Encoder Product Company offers to draw wire solutions, and encoders with rack-and-pinion gears provide reliable motion feedback. This ensures all lifts stop at the right locations, thereby moving materials and products safely to their destinations. Their motion feedback options for lift control involve Model LCX, for high performance with absolute feedback option, and Model TR2, a rack-and-pinion gear as an all-in-one unit.
The Model LCX135 is one of a draw wire series, providing an excellent solution for the control of lifts. Internally, incremental and absolute encoders provide excellent lift control feedback using the CANopen communication protocol.
Automated carts and vehicles require drive motor feedback. As they move around facilities like warehouses, the controller in these vehicles needs reliable motion feedback to ensure the motors are in the proper transit areas/corridors designated for them. The motion feedback also ensures they stop and start accurately.
Motion feedback devices from the Encoder Product Company provide this reliable, repeatable motion feedback. Their Model 15T/H is a compact and high-performance encoder. It is available in the blind-hollow bore or thru-bore designs. The Model 260 is a more economical and compact encoder with a large thru-bore design. The next model 25T/H is a high-performance 2.5” encoder. While Models 25T and 260 are incremental encoders, absolute encoders are also available, and they use the same CANopen communication protocol.
To ensure the correct drive path ad steering angle, the steering assembly also needs to provide precision feedback. Absolute encoders provide the best way to ensure proper motion feedback for these steering assemblies. This is because with absolute encoders it is possible to ensure smart positioning while providing the exact location while in a 360-degree rotation.
The Encoder Product Company offers several absolute encoders. Among them is the Model A36HB, a compact absolute encoder with a 36 mm blind hollow bore. Another is the Model A58HB, an absolute encoder with a 58 mm blind hollow bore.
Where safety is considered paramount, the Encoder Product Company offers redundant encoders. These are simple solutions and economical also. Using redundant encoders allows the application to rely on different technologies, ensuring at least one encoder will continue to function even when the other has failed.
