Sparks Electrical News January 2017

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DATALOGIC, a global leader in the industrial automation markets and
producer of world-class sensors, now offer a complete range of incre-
mental and absolute rotary encoders for industrial automation appli-
cations, such as motion control, length measurement and positioning.
Datalogic’s range of encoder products is composed of four lines:
• ENC41 incremental encoder basic line offers a reduced dimension
and pricing, thanks to the compact Ø41 mm fibreglass epoxy case,
without compromising the robustness and overall performance.
• ENC58 incremental encoder extended line, with industrial standard
Ø58 mm metal case, includes the widest range of mechanical vari-
ances, resolution from 500 up to 10 000 PPR and programmable
version.
• AST58 absolute single-turn encoder line, in the standard Ø58 mm
metal case offers a resolution up to 13 bit, Gray SSI output, hollow
shaft Ø15 mm or solid shaft Ø6 mm and 10 mm,
all available with cable, M12 or M23 connector.
• AMT58 absolute multi-turn encoder, in addition to
the characteristics already described for the single-
turn, this line offers a 13 x 12 bit resolution x turns
in the Gray SSI models, or even 18 x 16 bit in the
Fieldbus version, which include CANopen, Device-
net, EtherCAT, Profibus, and Profinet.
A wide range of accessories is available, such as: me-
chanical couplings, mounting fixtures, connectors and
cable, as well as metric wheels and draw wires for lin-
ear measurement applications.
This new Encoder product range is a perfect complement to Sen-
sors and ID, Vision, Laser-marking, being present in the most of appli-
cations as position transducer.
MAIN APPLICATIONS
Motion control is the most common application, the encoder is mount-
ed directly to the end of a motor via a shaft and provides feedback to a
drive to verify that the speed and direction is correct.
Web speed or tension control is another application in which an en-
coder is mounted so that any unevenness in the rotating speed of the
tension roller is fed to a controller to maintain an even tension.
Length measurement applications use an encoder mounted on a
wheel, in order to convert a linear movement into a rotation angle, or
number of rotations, so providing a length measurement to control cut-
ting, folding or other operations.
Conveying is another common industry application where encod-
ers are used to control speed and position of a motor or intermediate
axle shafts along conveyors. Encoder information is synchronised, for
example, to control barcode scanners or label printers.
Automated packaging machinery has many axes of high-speed
rotary motion that require feedback for motion control, hence, the fre-
quent need of encoders for speed or position feedback, length meas-
urement and positioning.
For more information on Encoders and other ACDC Dynamics
offerings contact Category manager, Farrel Sher at
or visit
Enquiries: +27 10 202 3300
CONTRACTORS’ CORNER 7
SPARKS
ELECTRICAL NEWS JANUARY 2017
RANGE OF ENCODERS FOR SMART MOTION CONTROL
24/7 SOLUTION FOR
MANDATORY BATTERY
MONITORING
MIDRONICS, locally represented by Comtest, has an-
nounced the availability of an innovative solution for
power utilities’ critical power reliability with the release
of its Cellguard ELS+ electrolyte level monitoring sys-
tem. This customer-driven product assures reliable
24/7 monitoring of VLA (vented lead-acid) battery
electrolyte levels and is easily integrated into a battery
management system for VLA battery maintenance.
The ELS+ monitoring system is commonly used in re-
serve power applications for backup power in utilities,
telecom and grid energy storage.
Strict monitoring is essential for VLA batteries to
ensure optimal performance and a long operating life.
VLA batteries (also called flooded batteries) continu-
ously deplete their electrolyte by outgassing hydrogen
and oxygen. Distilled water must be added to the bat-
tery as part of its maintenance. The lead plates inside
the battery must be fully immersed in electrolyte in
order to operate at optimal level. Once gassing occurs
and plates are exposed, they become inactive, reducing
battery capacity.
The ELS+ is an innovative solution to the age-old
issue of monitoring electrolyte levels in flooded lead-
acid batteries. It directly addresses a need within several
markets, including the electric power market that now
faces new requirements on infrastructure performance
in a simple and cost-effective package.
The Cellguard System ELS+ is simple to install, and
is completely non-invasive to the battery. It saves time
and money by eliminating the need for manual inspec-
tion. The ELS+ enhances safety by reducing the fre-
quency of close contact with batteries and battery acid
in addition to providing alarming when battery case
temperatures reach abnormal levels.
Enquiries: +27 10 595 1821