Renishaw

Manufacturer information and published contact details

Renishaw contact details

Headquarters and registered office

New Mills, Wotton-under-Edge
Gloucestershire GL12 8JR
United Kingdom

Telephone +44 1453 524111

Email uksalessupport@renishaw.com

Website renishaw.com

UK sales and support: Renishaw UK Sales Ltd

New Mills, Wotton-under-Edge
Gloucestershire GL12 8JR
United Kingdom

Telephone +44 1453 524111

Email uksalessupport@renishaw.com

Web renishaw.com/contacts/en/Worldwide-offices?/GB/Position-and-motion-control

Benelux: Renishaw Benelux BV

Nikkelstraat 3
4823 AE Breda
Netherlands

Telephone +31 76 543 11 00

Email benelux@renishaw.com

Web renishaw.com/contacts/en/worldwide-offices

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Contact details as published by Renishaw plc, checked 2026-10-30. Specify Motion is not affiliated with Renishaw plc.

Renishaw product lines

Who Renishaw is

Renishaw plc is a British engineering technology group with core skills in measurement, motion control, spectroscopy and precision machining. It describes itself as a global provider of manufacturing technologies, analytical instruments and medical devices, and as a leader in metal additive manufacturing. Renishaw is a registered trademark of Renishaw plc.

In motion control, Renishaw is best known for its position encoders: open optical linear and rotary encoders used on semiconductor stages, linear motor axes, precision machine tools and metrology equipment, plus enclosed linear encoders for machine tools and magnetic encoders through its associate company RLS.

History and ownership

Renishaw’s history starts with a single invention. In 1972 David McMurtry invented the touch-trigger probe to solve an inspection problem on the Olympus engines used in Concorde. The company was established in 1973 by McMurtry and John Deer, and Companies House records its incorporation on 4 April 1973. The first CMM probe, the TP1, went on sale that year.

Growth came quickly. Renishaw moved into its first commercial premises in Wotton-under-Edge in 1976, opened manufacturing in Ireland and a US sales subsidiary in Chicago in 1981, floated on the London Stock Exchange’s Unlisted Securities Market in 1983 with a full listing in 1984, and officially opened the New Mills headquarters in 1985. It introduced its first encoder readheads and interfaces in 1989, its first laser interferometer in 1987 and its first laser scale system in 1995. David McMurtry was knighted in 2001.

More recent milestones include the launch of the FORTiS enclosed linear absolute encoders in 2021 and a £65 million expansion of the Miskin manufacturing site in South Wales from 2022. Renishaw states that it typically invests around 13% to 18% of annual sales in research, development and engineering, and it reported 5,000 employees worldwide in 2019.

Renishaw plc is a public limited company registered in England and Wales, number 01106260, with its registered office at New Mills.

Encoder portfolio

The Renishaw encoder series we list are:

• Absolute open optical: RESOLUTE, true absolute on a fine-pitch scale, and EVOLUTE, its coarser-pitch derivative with wider installation tolerances.
• Incremental open optical: TONiC, VIONiC with interpolation in the readhead, QUANTiC for quick installation and speed, and the miniature ATOM and ATOM DX.
• Enclosed absolute linear: FORTiS-S and the narrow FORTiS-N for contaminated machine tool environments.
• Magnetic, from RLS: RMB30 board-level module, RM08 miniature rotary encoder, RE16 shafted encoder, AksIM-4 off-axis absolute ring encoder, HiLin linear encoder and LinACE InAxis for actuator rods.

For selection help, see our encoders hub and the guide to absolute vs incremental encoders.

What Renishaw is known for technically

Renishaw’s optical range covers both measurement principles. RESOLUTE and EVOLUTE are true absolute: the readhead reports position at power-up without a homing move, which removes reference runs on start-up and after a power loss. TONiC, VIONiC, QUANTiC and ATOM are incremental, chosen for fine resolution, high speed and small size, with VIONiC and ATOM DX putting the interpolation inside the readhead so no separate interface box is needed. ATOM uses filtering optics to reduce sensitivity to scale contamination.

The enclosed FORTiS encoders take a different approach for machine tools, sealing the scale inside an extrusion with lip seals and an optional air purge. RLS magnetic encoders cover the harshest duty, where optical scales would suffer from oil, dust or shock, at the cost of lower resolution and accuracy than the best optical systems.

When comparing a Renishaw encoder with an alternative, check scale pitch and resolution, accuracy grade, maximum speed, ride height and installation tolerances, scale type and thermal expansion, absolute or incremental output and the exact protocol, cable and connector, and the environment.

RLS and magnetic encoders

Renishaw describes RLS as its associate company for magnetic encoders. RLS was founded in December 1989 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and has specialised in magnetic encoders since 2000. Its head office is RLS Merilna tehnika d.o.o., Pod vrbami 2, SI-1218 Komenda, Slovenia.

Industries served

Renishaw cites transport, agriculture, electronics and healthcare among the industries its technologies serve. For the RLS magnetic range, Renishaw names heavy machinery, advanced surgical systems, collaborative and industrial robots and aerospace, with solutions for extreme conditions such as submarine use and solar power plants.

Global and UK presence

Renishaw operates in three regions, APAC, EMEA and the Americas, with sales offices worldwide. Most research, development and manufacturing is in the UK, with other major manufacturing sites in Ireland and India. UK sales and support for position and motion control is handled by Renishaw UK Sales Ltd at New Mills, with visits by appointment.

Specify Motion and Renishaw

Specify Motion is independent of Renishaw and is not a distributor for it. We can help you source Renishaw encoders where available, or propose equivalents from our supply network that meet the same published specification, confirmed by an engineer. See our page on Renishaw encoder alternatives or use find a replacement with your current part number.

Contact details at a glance

• Headquarters: Renishaw plc, New Mills, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire GL12 8JR
• UK sales and support: +44 1453 524111, uksalessupport@renishaw.com
• Companies House: 01106260
• Website: renishaw.com

Contact details were taken from Renishaw’s own website and Companies House on 30 October 2026.

Renishaw history: key dates

1. 1972David McMurtry invents the first touch-trigger probe
2. 1973Renishaw Electrical Ltd registered (incorporated 4 April 1973); first CMM probe, the TP1, goes on sale
3. 1981Manufacturing in Ireland and first sales subsidiary, Renishaw Inc, in Chicago
4. 1983Flotation on the London Stock Exchange's Unlisted Securities Market, with full listing in 1984
5. 1985New Mills site in Gloucestershire, now the headquarters, officially opened
6. 1989First range of encoder readheads and interfaces introduced
7. 1995First laser scale system
8. 2001David McMurtry knighted for services to design and innovation
9. 2021FORTiS enclosed linear absolute encoders launched
10. 2022£65 million expansion begins at the Miskin manufacturing site in South Wales

Renishaw encoders

Optical absolute encoder

RESOLUTE

True-absolute open optical encoder on a 30 µm pitch scale that reports position at power-up without any motion. Offered in linear, partial arc, rotary and multi-DoF formats with a wide choice of drive-specific serial protocols.

Optical absolute encoder

EVOLUTE

Absolute linear optical encoder derived from RESOLUTE but using a coarser 50 µm scale period, trading ultimate resolution for wider installation tolerances. Supports the same family of drive-specific serial interfaces.

Enclosed linear encoder

FORTiS-S

Standard-width (37 mm extrusion) enclosed absolute linear encoder built for contaminated machine tool environments, with lip seals and optional air purge. Uses non-contact absolute readhead technology and drive-specific serial protocols.

Enclosed linear encoder

FORTiS-N

Narrow (18 mm) enclosed absolute linear encoder with a more compact readhead for space-limited machine axes. Shares the FORTiS sealing concept and serial interface options.

Optical incremental encoder

TONiC

Compact 20 µm-pitch incremental optical encoder with an interface box offering interpolation down to 1 nm. Works with linear tape, spar, partial arc and rotary ring scales for dynamic precision stages.

Optical incremental encoder

VIONiC

All-in-one incremental optical readhead with interpolation built into the head, giving direct digital output without a separate interface. Renishaw positions it as its highest-performing incremental system.

Optical incremental encoder

QUANTiC

Incremental optical encoder on a 40 µm scale designed for quick installation and high speed, with digital or analogue output from the readhead. Suits general automation where coarser resolution is acceptable.

Optical incremental encoder

ATOM

Miniature incremental optical encoder with filtering optics, aimed at space-constrained axes. Available with cable or flexible printed circuit readheads and a range of interpolation interfaces.

Optical incremental encoder

ATOM DX

Renishaw's smallest incremental optical encoder, with interpolation integrated into the miniature readhead so digital output needs no external interface. Shares ATOM scales and discs.

Magnetic rotary encoder

RLS RMB30

Board-level rotary magnetic encoder module for embedding where space is tight. Offers absolute or incremental output from a 30 mm circular PCB.

Magnetic rotary encoder

RLS RM08

Very small non-contact rotary magnetic encoder for end-of-shaft mounting. Provides absolute or incremental output in an 8 mm body.

Magnetic rotary encoder

RLS RE16

Miniature shafted magnetic rotary encoder with absolute and incremental output options. Intended for solid or hollow shaft axes.

Magnetic rotary encoder

RLS AksIM-4

Off-axis absolute magnetic ring encoder for through-hole rotary axes, including large-diameter rings. Non-contact with optional self-calibration.

Magnetic linear encoder

RLS HiLin

High-accuracy linear magnetic encoder with a sealed compact readhead. Targets linear motor, machine and semiconductor axes that need robustness over optical cleanliness.

Magnetic linear encoder

RLS LinACE InAxis

True-absolute magnetic linear encoder integrated into a piston rod or shaft of an actuator. Bearingless design for in-axis position feedback.