Cross referencing an unknown, unlabeled encoder 

Background

When Charles Walker of Walker Machinery in Ellsinore, Missouri, contacted Encoder Products Company, he had an uncommon dilemma.

"He had a lumber mill customer with an encoder that had failed," explains Zac Zacharias, Central Regional Sales Manager. "But the encoder had no readable label on it, no electrical specifications. The customer remembered who they had purchased the encoder from, but that manufacturer had gone out of business."

Fortunately, EPC is known for our cross-reference service. So Zac had Charles mail the encoder to our factory in Sagle, Idaho, where our techs were able to determine the encoder's specs, which allowed Zac to suggest the appropriate EPC replacement. 

Summary of encoder requirements for this application:

• Size 25 heavy-duty shaft encoder
• 8 mm shaft size
• Servo mount
• Resolution of 1000 CPR
• Pull-up resistor output
• Side connector
• 7-pin MS connector
• IP66 sealing

The Problem

The equipment that needed a replacement encoder is in a lumber mill. The encoder goes on a sawmill log carriage, which holds the log in place as it moves through the equipment. The carriage moves forward through the saw blade for the entire length of the log while being sliced to a pre-determined thickness. The carriage then moves back into the starting place, and the carriage moves inward to the next programmed position for the next cut. The encoder provides the motion feedback to the controller so it can verify the distance the log moved. This ensures that the lumber is cut consistent to a specific thickness.

The right encoder would need to offer reliable and consistent motion feedback, in a harsh environment, and offer all the specifications of the encoder that had failed. 

The Solution

After EPC techs were able to determine what the encoder's specs would need to be, Zac knew exactly which encoder was the perfect fit: EPC Model 25SF.

The Model 25SF encoder is a highly-configurable, heavy-duty Size 25 shafted encoder. EPC was able to find the exact specs required for this application, and match them exactly, including fitting an 8 mm shaft size, a servo mount, resolution of 1000 CPR, pull-up resistor output, a side connector, a 7-pin MS connector, and IP66 sealing to protect the encoder from a harsh environment. 

With the popularity of the Model 25SF, we keep many configurations on the shelf, ready to ship. So once Zac confirmed the order, the encoder was shipped out that same day. 

After the Model 25SF was installed and testing completed, the customer reported that the machinery was working consistently and reliably, and production was up and running.

Model 25SF Servo Mount

The Model 25SF 2.5" Accu-Coder® shaft encoder is specifically designed for the challenges of an industrial environment, the Model 25SF features a rugged, industrial housing and comes standard with dual bearings rated 80 lbs axial or radial. 

Model 25SF Key Features:

• Standard Size 25 package (2.5" x 2.5" / 63.5 mm)
• Optical technology for high accuracy
• Resolutions from 1 to 65,536 CPR (262,144 quadrature counts)
• Servo and flange mounting
• IP67 sealing available
• Same day shipping on select configurations