With the release of new MULTI Degrees-of-Freedom (MULTI-DOF) encoders, Heidenhain offers machine manufacturers a better way to implement metrology designs to obtain multiple measurements simultaneously and facilitate correcting deviations on the fly. Conventional encoders offer one degree of motion, but these three new encoders do more to serve the demanding requirements of machines in the semiconductor and electronics industry, among others.  They include the new LIP 6031 Dplus, the GAP 1081 and the MKV 1/9x30.

Traditionally, an encoder is only able to measure deviations along a single axis and although these can be corrected via some controllers, they can still be blind to common but unavoidable effects of guideway error or thermal linear expansion (to name a few) which would cause deflection along multiple axes.  Using multiple reader heads allows for the detection of these deflections as in these new products, allowing for the necessary compensation at the inception and ensuring the integrity of the machine.

Users of these high accuracy MULTI-DOF encoders can expect high reproducibility and consistent quality in their systems.