We had an enquiry from a customer with equipment on an offshore platform – salt spray, a classified hazardous zone, and heavy shock loading all in the same application. Most encoders can handle one of those conditions. The Hengstler ACURO AX65 is built to handle all of them together.
This looks simple, but “explosion-proof” is a certified rating here, not a description – the AX65 carries ATEX and IECEx certification for gas, dust and mining environments. It’s built in marine-grade stainless steel, rated for 200 g shock and 300 N of axial/radial shaft load, and still manages to be the most compact explosion-proof encoder in its class at just 59 mm housing diameter and 70 mm mounting depth – useful when you’re retrofitting into a panel that wasn’t designed around a bulky Ex-rated housing. The shaft load rating is high enough that you often don’t need a separate load module, which helps on installation cost.
In actual application, the AX65 is rated up to IP66/IP67, runs on SSI or CANopen interface (CANopen allows a ring network configuration, which can save on wiring), and connects through a quick-connect terminal box with cage clamp terminals for fast field installation. It’s commonly specified for offshore oil platforms, mines and chemical plants – anywhere explosion risk and harsh environment come together.
From our experience, before we quote this, we would normally check the exact hazardous area zone/gas group classification required, the interface your controller expects (SSI or CANopen), and the shaft configuration for your mounting. Hope this helps.
