Hengstler’s new ACURO AX73 optical encoders offer attributes such as ease of installation, high precision and compact dimensions. The AX73 completes the company’s comprehensive family of ATEX-rated absolute rotary encoders, both optical and magnetic. The new AX73 and AX65 offer a special mounting system, while also available are the AX70 and AX71 absolute encoders, as well as the RX70 and RX71 incremental variants, with integrated cable.

The Hengstler ACURO-AX73 carries ATEX and IECEx certification for gas and dust explosion proof requirements. It also offers many more features of specific benefit in applications such as winches, cranes, drills and other oil and gas industry equipment, as well as at paint plants, petrochemical facilities, bottling plants and grain mills.

Among the principal advantages is the connection concept of the AX73, which allows the routing of cabling and the final encoder installation to be done in separate steps. This provides significant cost and time savings during installation, as cabling can be done in advance. Emergency servicing can also be completed more quickly, resulting from the ability to simply unplug the cable and connect it to the replacement encoder.

The use of just two screws for the connection hood simplifies maintenance. Many comparable encoders use six or even eight screws, while insufficient corrosion protection makes such units very difficult to uninstall. Instead, special patented screws are deployed on the AX73 to protect against dust, water and corrosion.

The optical scanning system provides a highly accurate, 22-bit resolution sensor signal for wherever precision or smooth speed regulation is necessary. However, despite its accuracy, the encoder is of robust design, with impressive resistance to shock, vibration and external magnetic fields. In addition, the unit provides users with IP67 protection class rating for the stainless steel housing, and offers an Ex-related ambient temperature range of -40 to +70°C.

The AX73 has a 76-mm housing diameter, which is smaller than comparable competitor products, and will make is suitable for system designers seeking space-saving solutions. Available immediately, the AX73 can be ordered with SSI, BiSS-B, BiSS-C and Profibus interfaces.

For more information, visit www.hengstler.com.