Explosion-proof posital encoders receive Atex/IECEx certification

Posital's Ixarc explosion-proof encoders have been certified in accordance with the European or international Atex/IECEx directives for Category 3 electrical products. These devices are suitable for use in Zone 2 and Zone 22 (potentially hazardous exposure to explosive gases and combustible dusts) and are ideal for oil and gas plants, chemical plants, wood processing plants, and food and feed plants processing such as flour or grain.  The certification documents cover multiple encoder configurations and were issued by an organization with specific expertise in Atex and IECEx testing and certification. 

Posital's Atex/IECEx certified encoders feature aluminum or stainless steel housings designed to eliminate electrical hotspots or sparking that could cause an explosion. The encoders are available in both incremental and absolute versions and are offered with optical or magnetic measurement systems. Optical encoders are suitable for high-precision applications and offer up to 16-bit resolution and excellent dynamic response. Magnetic variants offer similar resolution and feature a compact, rugged design that makes them extremely versatile and suitable for harsh environments. For many magnetic encoders, some operating characteristics can be changed through software updates without requiring mechanical changes.

For programmable incremental encoders, for example, the resolution can be set between 1 and 16,384 PPR (pulses per revolution) by selecting the appropriate software parameters. In the case of absolute encoders, both magnetic and optical variants are available for multiturn operation, whose counting electronics function without batteries and rely on energy harvesting via Wiegand technology. This eliminates the need to test and replace backup batteries, drastically reducing maintenance and protecting the environment. 

Like all units in the huge Ixarc family of encoders, the Atex/IECEx certified models can be ordered with a variety of mounting flange designs and shaft configurations. They are available with either connectors (M12, etc.) or connected cables. A wide variety of communication interfaces are supported, including incremental, analog, SSI, Profibus, ProfiNet, CANopen, DeviceNet, EtherCAT EtherNET IP, Modbus RTU, J1939 and Modbus TCP interfaces. This wide range of configuration options allows the EX-certified Ixarc encoders to be individually designed so that they can be easily integrated into almost any machine or system.

Finding the right Ixarc sensor for a particular application is easy. The product page features a powerful online product finder that allows the customer or user to specify the exact product characteristics required for their application and then quickly locate the exact fit products from the vast Ixarc range. Posital's flexible manufacturing system is designed so that the individually configured encoders can be ordered from 'batch size one':