ALPS Develops and Commences Mass Production of "EC50A Series" Ring Type Encoder

Large 37mm Inside Diameter Achieved with the Industry’s First 50mm Ring Type Encoder

Duesseldorf, Germany, June 26, 2013 - ALPS ELECTRIC EUROPE GmbH has developed the "EC50A Series" Ring Type Encoder suited for use in controls for car air conditioning and audio systems or major home appliances. Samples will be available from June 2013. Dial-type devices have often been used in the past for car air conditioning and audio system controls. Even today, as new possibilities emerge for control of in-car systems using touch panels, dials realizing a sense of intuitive control are still being used in many automobile models. In fact, demand keeps rising as more cars, especially luxury models for the European market, incorporate devices on both the driver’s side and the front passenger’s side to allow independent temperature control. These devices are often designed to enable embedding of a control switch or a small LCD in the center of the dial. But design freedom cannot be enhanced without widening the device’s inside diameter (central opening). Space around the control panel is limited, however, particularly as navigation systems are bigger than they used to be, creating a need for devices with as large an inner diameter as possible while retaining the same external dimensions. ALPS has responded to these needs by developing the EC50A Series, the industry’s first 50mm ring type encoder. While the projected area of the product is 1.4 times bigger than the earlier EC40A Series (dimensions: 40.4 × 44.2 × 22mm (W×D×H), 25mm ring inside diameter), a large 37mm inside diameter has been created, providing a central opening around twice as large as the earlier product. The large inside diameter of the ring allows installation of a switch, LEDs or a small LCD. The addition of the EC50A Series to the existing lineup contributes to greater freedom in design for the customer and enhanced designs for the overall cabin interior. The EC50A Series also has a guide formed on the inner wall to reduce rattle when the customer attaches a knob. Furthermore, original mechanical design and precision processing technologies were applied to achieve a premium operating feel. Features Large 37mm Inside Diameter Achieved with the Industry’s First 50mm Ring Type Encoder Industry-first 50mm ring type encoder contributes to greater equipment design freedom Large 37mm inside diameter enables greater freedom in functional and visual design Excellent rotation operating feel and smooth click sensation achieved Guide formed on inner wall reduces operation shaft rattle Principal Applications Temperature/air volume controls for car air conditioning Controls for car audio or other systems Controls for home appliances such as microwaves and washing machines For more information on the new product please visit this website.

ALPS Electric Co., Ltd. ALPS Electric (Tokyo: 6770) is a leading global manufacturer of high-quality electronic components for mobile devices, home electronics, vehicles and industrial equipment. With the philosophy of "Perfecting the Art of Electronics" ALPS Electric supplies over 40,000 different components to about 2,000 companies all over the world. For more information, visit www.alps.com. ALPS ELECTRIC EUROPE GmbH, a subsidiary of ALPS Electric Co., Ltd., was established in 1979. Since 1989 the European Head Office has been located in Düsseldorf, where a team of specialists works in Sales, Marketing, and Product Engineering. The activities of our branch offices in Munich, Paris, Milton Keynes, Gothenburg, and our sales office in Milan are coordinated from Düsseldorf.