Hazardous Environments

Do you need encoders designed for hazardous environments? To keep pace with the growth of complex industrial processes, BEI has developed rugged, quality encoders that meet high standards and certifications for use in potentially explosive environments. BEI brings you specially designed encoders to meet your appropriate specifications. There are a variety of protection methods available depending on the circumstance of a particular installation. For optical encoders, the most commonly used methods are explosion proof construction and intrinsic safety, detailed below:

EXPLOSION PROOF CONSTRUCTION METHOD
In this encoder protection technique the equipment is contained in an enclosure that can withstand an internal explosion of the most volatile gas-to-air mixture that can penetrate into the interior of the encoder enclosure. The enclosure must contain the explosion without damage and without allowing the flame to leave the enclosure through any joints or other openings.

INTRINSIC SAFETY METHOD
This encoder protection technique uses an apparatus that limits the maximum level of current and voltage (usually measured as energy in millijoules) that can be delivered into the hazardous location. This equipment ensures that even in a double fault condition, there will not be enough energy to ignite the gas or vapor in that area. Note that encoders that use this method of protection, must use energy limiting devices (commonly called Barriers) in their installation. An Intrinsically Safe encoder, installed without an Intrinsic Safety Barrier is not an Intrinsically Safe system.

Hazardous Area Encoders and Electronics

Model H25® Incremental Encoder
As the flagship of the BEl Industrial Encoder Division product line, the H25 is designed for the industrial machine tool marketplace.

Model HS25 Hollow-shaft Incremental Encoder
Rating only available with 4469 output driver. This low-profile encoder design, just 2" deep, is easily mounted on a through encoder shaft.

PDF Hollow Shaft Optical Incremental Encoder Model HS25  (4 pgs/242k)

Model HS35 Hollow-shaft Incremental Encoder
The HS35 combines the rugged, heavy-duty features in a hollow-shaft style.

Model H38 Explosion Proof Optical Encoder
The H38 is an explosion proof version of the field-proven H25 encoder series.
PDF MSHA Rotary Incremental Optical Encoder Model H38 (2 pgs/308k)
PDF Rotary Incremental Optical Encoder Model H38 (4 pgs/238k)

Model H40 Shock Proof Optical Encoder
The H40's ultra heavy-duty housing totally isolates the encoder from severe shock and shaft loading conditions.
PDF Rotary Incremental Optical Encoder Model H40(4 pgs/239k)

Regulations & Certifications

Detailed regulation and certification definitions and tables of BEI encoder models along with the level of classification that they carry.
HTML or PDF (3 pgs/187k)