A conveyor drive, a mine winder or a port crane runs on the speed and position signal its encoder returns to the drive controller. When that signal drops out through vibration, shaft loading, dust or a cable fault, the plant stops. Our heavy duty encoders and industrial sensors allow the project engineer or site electrical engineer to specify feedback that stays in service on large drives, from a standard incremental encoder on a conveyor motor to certified variants for hazardous areas.

Every encoder and sensor is selected for the shaft, the drive interface and the environment it has to survive, and our national engineering and distribution network supports you with equipment selection, demonstration, testing assistance and after-sales technical support for the working life of the equipment.

Heavy duty encoders, motion control and proximity sensors

We offer a wide range of heavy duty encoders, motion control and proximity sensing products commonly found on large drives and materials handling plant in mining, ports, steelworks and infrastructure, which can be used for speed and position feedback, object detection and machine safeguarding.

Heavy duty incremental encoders

Incremental encoders return speed and angular position to the drive as square-wave pulses or SinCos signals per revolution. The heavy duty designs we supply carry bearings at both shaft ends wherever the mechanics allow, sized for the radial and axial loads on large drives, with resolutions from 300 to 10 000 ppr and operating temperatures of -40 to +100 °C across the main series.

Magnetic encoders and motion control

Magnetic sensing encoders suit drives where the sensing method has to tolerate contamination and shock rather than deliver the highest resolution. We supply them alongside the optical heavy duty range.

Inductive, capacitive and magnetic proximity sensors

Proximity sensors confirm position on gates, valves, cylinders and conveyors without contact, in the housings and output types that MCC and control panel designers specify into control circuits.

Photoelectric, ultrasonic, area and safety sensors

These sensors cover longer range detection, presence and level sensing, and the safeguarding of access points on materials handling equipment. Safety-rated types are selected against the machine risk assessment, which we ask to see first.

Magnetic speed sensors, pickups and tachometers

Pickups and tachos monitor the speed of rotating machinery where a full encoder is not needed or a gear-tooth target already exists, for overspeed and underspeed monitoring on fans, pumps, turbines and conveyor drives.

Sensor mounting accessories

Brackets, configurable mounting systems, guards and adapters hold a sensor in position and protect it from impact. Specifying the mount with the sensor cuts installation time and rework on site.

Comparing shaft and mounting types

All the heavy duty encoders we supply share one design approach: bearings at both shaft ends wherever mechanically feasible, aluminium or stainless steel housings, corrosion protection to category C4 or CX (C5-M) in accordance with EN ISO 12944 on the relevant series, and output drivers rated for cable lengths up to 350 m (HTL-P) and 550 m (TTL). The series differ in how the encoder mounts to the machine.

Blind hollow shaft and cone shaft encoders in the 99 mm design fit directly onto the motor shaft end, which keeps mounting depth short and removes the coupling. They suit motor manufacturers and drive rebuilds where the motor has a prepared shaft end.

Solid shaft encoders with EURO flange B10 in the 115 mm design are the established mounting standard for heavy duty shaft encoders and connect through a coupling to a matching flange. Most existing mining and port drives were built around this format, so a like-for-like replacement comes down to matching pulse count, output and connection.

Large hollow shaft encoders with integral bearings cover drive shafts above 20 mm and up to 150 mm, and bearingless optical types run to 30 000 rpm without self-heating from bearing friction, for large generators and mill drives where a standard encoder shaft cannot carry the load or the speed.

Choosing heavy duty encoders for your drive

Start with the drive controller. Pulse count or SinCos period, output level (HTL-P, TTL/RS422, SinCos 1 Vpp or optical fibre), supply voltage and cable run set the electrical specification before any mechanical choice. Then match shaft type, mounting and connection to the motor, and confirm the temperature and corrosion category the encoder will sit in.

Where will the encoder sit? On a frequency converter driven motor, shaft currents can damage encoder bearings, so specify hybrid or insulated bearings, or an insulated coupling hub on solid shaft types. In hazardous areas, specify variants with ATEX II 3G/3D marking for zones 2 and 22, or ATEX II 2G and IECEx certified types for zone 1, and request the certificate with the quote. We confirm lead time at quotation.

Local engineering and distribution support

Transtech Electronic Controls distributes these encoders and sensors in Australia. We help with equipment selection against your drive and motor data, arrange demonstration and testing assistance, and provide after-sales technical support for the life of the installation. Installation and commissioning remain with your electrical contractor or site team.

Frequently asked questions

Can you cross-reference an existing encoder to a current model?

Yes. Send us the nameplate data or the old part number and the drive it feeds, and we will match pulse count, output signal, shaft, flange and connection to a current type. Where a direct match is not available we propose the closest option and list the differences.

Do you supply encoders for hazardous areas?

Yes. Most of the incremental heavy duty range carries ATEX II 3G/3D marking for zones 2 and 22, and types with ATEX II 2G and IECEx certification are available for zone 1. The certificate comes with the quotation.

Can the encoder be combined with a speed switch or tacho generator?

Yes. Combination units mount an encoder, a speed switch and a tacho generator on one shaft in a single housing, which gives the drive its speed feedback, an independent overspeed contact and an analogue tacho signal from one mounting point. Redundant and twin encoder arrangements are also available.

What information do you need to quote?

Shaft dimensions and mounting arrangement on the motor, pulse count and output signal type, supply voltage, cable length, ambient temperature and any hazardous area or corrosion requirement. A photograph of the existing installation helps when a drive is being rebuilt.

Talk to our engineering team

Send your drive data, existing encoder part number or specification to Transtech Electronic Controls and we will come back with a selection and lead time. Contact us at https://www.transtech.com.au/contact-us/, on (08) 9302 2044 or at info@transtech.com.au.