Product category:
Engineering Industry Developments and Awards
News Release from: Renishaw
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 15 February 2006
Ring encoders win 25 year innovation
award
Ring encoders win Eureka magazine 25th Anniversary award for favourite innovation story in a quarter of a century.
Metrology company Renishaw has been recognised for its innovation excellence by the readers of Eureka magazine, a UK trade journal devoted to engineering design and applications In the magazine's 25th Anniversary issue, readers were invited to vote for their favourite innovation story of the past 25 years, from a shortlist selected by Eureka's editorial staff
Announcing the vote, Eureka's editor Dean Palmer said: "Out of the 23 innovation stories we put forward, readers voted overwhelmingly for Renishaw and its ring encoders, described in the February 2003 issue of Eureka".
The story attracted 22% of the votes cast and Renishaw wins a special, framed version of the article, that was republished in the anniversary issue along with an update to the original story.
Under the heading of "Encoder steers safer designs", the original article described how Renishaw's high temperature, high power ring encoders on steering robots would let engineers develop safer cars with better handling.
Using the robots, test steering patterns, once recorded, could be replayed many times to create and collate dynamic measurements.
The robots, made by AB Dynamics, were used by automotive OEMs, tyre manufacturers and test houses all over the world.
In the update to the article, it was reported that AB Dynamics has continued to grow its business and incorporates Renishaw encoder systems in dynamic test rigs developed for axle testing and suspension monitoring.
Readers also read that since 2003, Renishaw has grown its share of the world encoder market with a range of product introductions.
These include high-performance linear and high-vacuum encoders, one-piece stainless steel ring encoders, stable Invar scale, and evolutionary improvements in speed, resolution and reliability to its standard optical lines of industrialised RG2 and RG4 linear encoders.
Eureka interviewed several of its readers, asking them why they voted for the Renishaw innovation story.
Peter Bogle, Lead Engineer at Woodward Diesel Systems based in Cheltenham, said it was "because of the company's continuing product development in its core expertise, producing world-class products".
The magazine also reported that Cliff Jolliffe, MD at Aerotech based in Aldermaston, was equally impressed by Renishaw's continuous development and innovation expertise.
He said: "Renishaw took a principle that designers and engineers used to justify moving from rotary driven systems to linear motion systems".
"For example, the benefits of direct drive linear systems with the point of interest being measured directly at the positioning point, rather than via a rotary encoder which may be at the end of a driven ballscrew or belt".
"And then they reinvented the principle by offering it in circular form having the same inherent advantages".
"The developments it has opened up in the direct drive motion table for machine tools, semiconductor, medical device and automation markets are endless".
"It's also great to see a British company at the forefront of technology and invention".
Renishaw's latest encoders are built on three technologies for precision positioning - optical, magnetic and laser interferometry. Request free introductory details about products from Renishaw ...
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