Actuators with Battery-less Absolute Encoders

SMC has introduced a line of actuators driven by 24VDC step motors fitted with battery-less absolute encoders.  An absolute encoder offers position data upon power-on, avoiding the homing routine an incremental encoder requires.  Our battery-less absolute encoder pairs orientation sensors with differently sized rotating wheels to enable position detection.  This electro-mechanical design eliminates the battery and its accompanying import and disposal restrictions common to traditional absolute encoders.  A battery-less solution is also free of memory retention limits from extended power-off situations.