Rotary Position Sensor Types

There are many different types of rotary position sensors available on the market today.

We are a manufacturer of position sensors and rotary position sensors are part of our product range. Our rotary position sensors use our own PIPs technology which is completely non-contacting; however, there are other types of rotary position sensors available.

Rotary Position Sensor Types

A rotary position sensor is a device used to transform mechanical rotary movements and measurements into electrical signals. They can a detect change in angle, direction, speed and overall displacement.

There are lots of different technologies which can be used within rotary position sensors and these can be split into two categories; Contacting and Non-contacting.

Contacting Rotary Position Sensor Types

Contacting rotary position sensors tend to be cheaper.

A Potentiometer is the most common type of contacting rotary position sensor. They are often used in measuring control and instrumentation applications. They often use ball bearings and elastomer damped wipers to ensure accurate and precise measurement.

Non- Contacting Rotary Position Sensor Types

Non-contacting rotary position sensors are often the preferred choice as they have a longer life expectancy. Each of these technologies is wear-free.

RVDT this is a common non-contacting technology used. It uses a metal core and coils to determine and measure position. There is also a linear version of this technology called LVDT. RVDTs and LVDTs work in a similar way to our PIPs sensors.

Hall Effect another type of technology which is very popular. It involves the use of a magnetic field to determine and measure the rotary position. These types of sensors are often small in size and can be available as a single unit or a puck and magnet design.

Our sister company Variohm Eurosensor has a range of hall effect rotary sensors. For more information on these please contact us.

Positek PIPS this is our non-contacting technology. They are highly robust and suitable for the harshest environments. The technology we use is similar to an RVDT but we can guarantee a higher accuracy and life cycle as well as unrivalled reliability.

Applications of Rotary Position Sensors

Rotary position sensors are used throughout many industries, some of the applications they are used for are;

• Machinery paper production
• Drive technology
• Aerospace applications
• Extraction technology
• Measurement and testing technology
• Robotics applications
• Assembly and handling
• Automotive industry applications
• Valve positioning

Various motorsport applications steering, pedal, gear etc

These are just a few example applications for rotary position sensors. For full details on some of the applications we have been a part of, take a look at our Case Studies.

Rotary Position Sensors from Positek

Our rotary position sensors offer high accuracy, long life and are highly robust. We have a range of intrinsically safe rotary position sensors as well as submersible and ATEX approved.

Some of the other features of our rotary position sensors are;

• Operate without interface
• Custom made
• Short lead times
• Measurements from 5 to 160 degrees

For more information on our rotary position sensors or to discuss your custom solution please contact us.