When a linear axis needs position feedback, design engineers face a choice: buy an encoder separately and install it in the machine, or specify a guideway with the encoder already integrated at the factory. For most precision applications, the integrated route wins, because direct measurement is usually favorable over indirect position measurement, and because the factory does the fussy work for you.
1 µm
Resolution with integrated magnetic encoder
2
Integrated families — PG series and H-type
Non-contact
Sensing unaffected by grease, dirt, and oils
Direct measurement, at the axis that matters
An integrated encoder reads position directly at the guideway block: the moving element your machine actually cares about. Indirect methods infer position from somewhere upstream in the drivetrain, which lets backlash, thermal growth, and compliance creep into the reading. Measuring at the block combines the stiffness and rigidity of the guideway with the precision of a magnetic encoder, with resolution as fine as one micron, the level assembly, packaging, and pick-and-place machinery demand.
Why magnetic encoders hold up on the factory floor
The encoder is a non-contact sensor, and the magnetic scale is embedded in the rail where debris can’t damage it. Unlike optical systems, readings aren’t hindered by grease, dirt, or oils on the scale, the realities of a working machine. The result is a longer service life and less time spent cleaning and recalibrating feedback components.
“Direct measurement is usually favorable over indirect position measurement.”
Two integrated options: PG and H-type
HIWIN pre-integrates position sensing in two product families. The PG series is a linear guideway assembly with an integrated magnetic encoder, available with digital or analog signal output. The H-type accessory takes a more compact form for space-constrained designs where an analog signal is preferred. Both can be paired with the E2 self-lubricating accessory to stretch maintenance intervals further.
Simpler to order, faster to install
Specifying the encoder pre-installed collapses two purchasing decisions into one and removes an alignment task from your assembly floor. Rails are cut to within a millimeter of your specified length, the scale arrives pre-cut and self-adhesive for the rail groove, and multi-block configurations ship pre-assembled. Install the rail, apply the scale, and the axis is ready for feedback.
