We had an enquiry from a customer running a mixing plant where the encoder sits inside a zone classified for gas or dust explosion risk, but without the wash-down or corrosive exposure that would call for stainless steel, so a standard aluminum-bodied explosion-proof encoder was the right fit.
Hengstler’s ICURO RX70 is the aluminum version of the RX70-71 explosion-proof incremental encoder family. It has a pressure-resistant aluminum housing, complies with the EN 60079 series of standards, and is rated for Zones 1 and 21. It gives up to 10,000 lines resolution, with a 10mm solid shaft, and interface options of push-pull, push-pull complementary, or RS422. It carries ATEX, CCC, CE, and IECEx approvals, with protection class up to IP64 or IP67 depending on version. It is commonly used in paintshops, surface machining plants, bagging installations, mixing plants, and silo installations.
From our experience, before we quote this, we would normally check the exact hazardous zone classification, the IP64 vs IP67 protection requirement, and the interface/output type needed. Hope this helps.
