Renishaw Wins A Queens Award For Enterprise and Innovation 2015 For Revolutionary Absolute Position Encoder

RESOLUTE enables a step change in the performance of motion control systems used in manufacturing and other environments. The global engineering technologies company is delighted to have won its eighteenth Queen’s Award in the 50th anniversary year of this prestigious awards scheme.

Suitable for the most demanding applications, RESOLUTE is the world’s first single track fine-pitch optical absolute encoder. It can determine position to a resolution of one nanometre (one billionth of a metre) with motion speeds of up to 100 metres per second for linear position applications, and is capable of 32-bit resolution at up to 36,000 RPM for rotary (angle) applications. It determines position immediately at switch-on and is compatible with a range of ‘open’ and ‘proprietary’ serial protocols including Siemens DRIVE-CLIQ, BiSS®, FANUC, Mitsubishi and Panasonic.

Sir David McMurtry, Renishaw’s Chairman and Chief Executive, said: “RESOLUTE is a phenomenal product that marries our years of experience and expertise in areas such as optics, high speed image processing, system engineering and precision manufacturing. I am proud of the achievements of the many people across the Renishaw Group who have worked tirelessly to produce a globally successful encoder product that is a world-first in its field.”

He continued: “We won our first Queen’s Award in 1979 for Export Achievement, and whilst we have been fortunate to have been recognised a further seventeen times over the years, to receive a Queen’s Award is still very special as they continue to be regarded as the UK’s most prestigious awards for recognising commercial and technological success.”

RESOLUTE is employed in a diverse variety of applications including safety-critical position feedback for medical robots, the control of precision metalworking machines, the manufacture of flat panel displays and the production of semiconductors.

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are made each year by Her Majesty The Queen, on the advice of the British Prime Minister, who is assisted by an Advisory Committee that includes representatives of Government, industry and commerce, and the trade unions. The Awards are given solely on merit and competition is fierce. The number of Awards presented each year is not pre-set and depends on the quality of the applications received.