Renishaw (www.renishaw.com) has introduced the world’s first true-absolute optical encoder suitable for ultra-high vacuum (UHV) environments — the RESOLUTE UHV.

Constructed from clean vacuum-compatible adhesives and materials, the all-new RESOLUTE UHV optical encoder delivers proven clean residual gas analysis (RGA) and low outgassing rates, making it suitable for high performance scientific and semiconductor applications that require vacuum compatibility of up to 10-10 Torr.

Aside from providing true-absolute position feedback, RESOLUTE UHV also offers sub-micron accuracy as well as up to 1 nm resolution for both rotary and linear applications.

Much like the standard RESOLUTE true-absolute encoders, the ultra-high vacuum variant eliminates the need for any battery or movement backup as it immediately determines position upon switch on.

It also assures safety through an independent, built-in position-checking algorithm, which actively checks the readings to ensure that all potential problems are flagged before reaching the controller. Using pure serial communication with cyclic redundancy check (CRC), RESOLUTE UHV eliminates the need for auxiliary 1 Vpp signals and provides higher noise immunity while detecting data corruption. It is compatible with industry standard controllers and is available in a vast array of serial protocols, such as FANUC, BiSS, Panasonic and Mitsubishi.

Available for both rotary and linear position feedback, the RESOLUTE UHV system employs a single-track scale code, with each compact installation featuring wide set-up tolerances for long-term operation and quick, easy fitment.

Designers can select from various linear scales in either ZeroMet low thermal expansion alloy or stainless steel. Mounting can be either mechanical, track-mounted or self-adhesive, which comes with proven clean RGA spectra.