Renishaw, the global metrology specialist, earlier this year received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category for its world-leading RESOLUTE absolute position encoder system. This prestigious award follows a rigorous and highly competitive entry process and is awarded only to top UK businesses.

How is the RESOLUTE absolute encoder innovative?

Renishaw’s RESOLUTE encoder system won the award by demonstrating a uniquely innovative design with outstanding commercial success over the last 5 years. RESOLUTE is the world’s first single track fine-pitch optical absolute encoder and is recognised as leading technology in the absolute encoder market. The readhead captures a near instantaneous image of a coded measuring scale, which comprises a single data track with a non-repeating barcode-like strip of 15 µm wide light and dark lines. Unlike other products in the marketplace, complicated guiding arrangements are not needed to maintain alignment between the readhead and scale, eliminating mechanical hysteresis and measurement errors.

Four of the most innovative features of RESOLUTE’s design and production process include:

First is a new imaging based system, rather than a traditional interference-based optical technology, comprising a lens system for the best stability and accuracy of metrology. The readhead uses specially designed custom components including a high reliability point source LED, an imaging lens, a beam splitter and custom 320-pixel linear image sensor capable of 150,000 frames per second. Advantages of this system include rapid position acquisition on demand, exceptional dirt immunity as a result of significant absolute scale code redundancy, low Sub-Divisional Error (SDE) of ±40 nm and low jitter (noise) of 10 nm RMS.

Secondly, novel and fast algorithms for increased safety and position reliability. Two independent algorithms operate within the readhead to compute its position with respect to the scale, giving maximum confidence that the declared position will be correct at all times.

Thirdly, development of new scale manufacturing techniques to allow the production of a single barcode-like pattern on both linear and rotary scales – allowing, for the first time, scale manufacturing capability beyond an accuracy of 1 µm for linear scale and below an arc-second for rotary scale.

Fourthly, exceptional dynamic performance that matches the performance benefits of current incremental systems, using only a single absolute track, and breaks the speed / resolution trade-off which plagues traditional encoders.

Other award winning added benefits of RESOLUTE include the removal of homing operations, large installation tolerances, high-speed traversing rates and flexible readhead and scale options.

More on RESOLUTE

RESOLUTE is available with both linear and rotary scale types and is compatible with a range of ‘open’ and ‘proprietary’ serial protocols including Siemens DRIVE CLIQ, BiSS®, FANUC, Mitsubishi and Panasonic for connection to a wide range of industry-standard motor drives and controllers.

In rotary (angle) configuration, RESOLUTE is capable of 32-bit resolution at 36 000 RPM or, in linear format, 1 nm at speeds of 100 m/s and lengths to 10 m. This results in better surface finish of CNC machined parts; better scanning and velocity control, and rock-solid servo stiffness on linear motors or rotary direct-drives when holding position. RESOLUTE is now also available in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and extended temperature range (ETR) compatible variants for advanced applications.

RESOLUTE has CE approval, RoHS compliance, and is manufactured by Renishaw under strict quality controls that are certified to ISO 9001:2008. RESOLUTE, like all Renishaw encoders, is backed by a truly responsive global sales and support network.

A Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category has been granted to Renishaw for the development and manufacture of its RESOLUTE family of non-contact, optical position feedback devices. RESOLUTE enables a step change in the performance of motion control systems used in manufacturing and other environments. The global engineering technologies company is delighted to have won its eighteenth Queen’s Award in the 50th anniversary year of this prestigious awards scheme.

Suitable for the most demanding applications, RESOLUTE is the world’s first single track fine-pitch optical absolute encoder. It can determine position to a resolution of one nanometre (one billionth of a metre) with motion speeds of up to 100 metres per second for linear position applications, and is capable of 32-bit resolution at up to 36,000 RPM for rotary (angle) applications. It determines position immediately at switch-on and is compatible with a range of ‘open’ and ‘proprietary’ serial protocols including Siemens DRIVE-CLIQ, BiSS®, FANUC, Mitsubishi and Panasonic.

Sir David McMurtry, Renishaw’s Chairman and Chief Executive, said: “RESOLUTE is a phenomenal product that marries our years of experience and expertise in areas such as optics, high speed image processing, system engineering and precision manufacturing. I am proud of the achievements of the many people across the Renishaw Group who have worked tirelessly to produce a globally successful encoder product that is a world-first in its field.”

He continued: “We won our first Queen’s Award in 1979 for Export Achievement, and whilst we have been fortunate to have been recognised a further seventeen times over the years, to receive a Queen’s Award is still very special as they continue to be regarded as the UK’s most prestigious awards for recognising commercial and technological success.”

RESOLUTE is employed in a diverse variety of applications including safety-critical position feedback for medical robots, the control of precision metalworking machines, the manufacture of flat panel displays and the production of semiconductors.

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are made each year by Her Majesty The Queen, on the advice of the British Prime Minister, who is assisted by an Advisory Committee that includes representatives of Government, industry and commerce, and the trade unions. The Awards are given solely on merit and competition is fierce. The number of Awards presented each year is not pre-set and depends on the quality of the applications received.