Actions such as conveying, lifting, pick and place and other automated functions represent one or more axes of rotary motion found in material handling equipment. For accurate control, often a rotary shaft encoder is a preferred sensor for motion feedback.
Many material handling functions are often driven by servo or vector duty motors. These usually have integral encoders for closed loop motion control feedback. Alternatively, the encoders can be applied to a non-motor axis. Both incremental and absolute encoders are widely used in material handling equipment.
The Material Handling industry typically uses encoders for the following functions:
Motor Feedback - Conveyors, automated guided vehicles, forklifts
Conveying - Drive motors, head roll shafts, belt speed monitoring
Registration Mark Timing - Automated palletizers, shrink wrappers, case packers, pick and place robotics
Backstop Gauging - Gantry systems, automated palletizers
X-Y Positioning - Pick and place robotics, palletizers, case packers
