The Problem
The company traditionally mounted encoders using a measuring wheel and a supporting bracket. Their bracket system, however, left the encoder exposed to fork lifts and other machinery. Both the brackets and the encoders were sustaining damage, which was causing system failures.
The obvious solution was to find the right thru-bore encoder. The thru-bore would allow the encoder to be directly mounted on the drive shaft, eliminating the need for the supporting bracket and measuring wheel.
The right encoder for this job also needed to be compact enough to allow the company to build a protective housing around the encoder assembly. The housing was necessary to prevent other equipment from coming into contact with the assembly and causing damage.
There was also one more important consideration: the company was looking for a more economical solution.
The Solution
Taking all their needs into consideration, EPC proposed the Model 260.
When configured as a thru-bore encoder, the Model 260’s larger bore (up to 0.625”) allows for a direct mount over the drive shaft, eliminating both the measuring wheel and the bracket. The Model 260 also uses EPC’s innovative anti-backlash mounting system, allowing for simple, reliable, and precise encoder attachment.
The Model 260 is EPC’s thinnest thru-bore encoder available with bearings. With its low profile, the Model 260 allowed the company to easily build a protective housing that better protected the new assembly. During everyday use, it would no longer be at risk of damage from contact with forklifts or other equipment.
EPC’s solution also proved to be much less expensive than the system it replaced (which consisted of the encoder, measuring wheel, and bracket). Even when the cost of the protective housing was added in, the overall system cost went down considerably. In addition, the new solution virtually eliminated field failures from external damage to the encoder, saving the company even more money.
