Turck QR24 contactless encoder with IO-Link

Turck is now offering a variant of the contactless QR24 encoder for use in explosion-protected areas Zones 2, 22 and 3GD. Contactless measurement should outperform bearing-guided optical encoders in dust-laden environments since optical encoders are susceptible to dust.

The sensor unit and positioning element on the device are fully potted and cast as two totally sealed independent units. This gives the encoder protection from dust, vibration, impact and shocks. Unlike encoders with magnetic positioning elements, the QR24 offers resistance to magnetic field interference. Typical applications include the chemical, mining or food industries — particularly in mills. However, many applications in the textile or wood processing industry also require the use of an encoder with 3GD approval.

The product outputs its signal via the IO-Link V1.1 interface, thus offering simple parameter setting such as for the output signal or zero point. The encoder can be used as a single-turn, semi-multiturn rotary encoder that counts its revolutions. For this the encoder uses 16 bits of the 32-bit IO-Link signal for the single-turn value, 13 bits for the number of revolutions and the remaining three bits for diagnostics data. Operating status can thus be determined at any time and maintenance can be planned in advance, thus effectively preventing machine downtime.