RLS (RLS Merilna tehnika d.o.o.)
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Summary

RLS (RLS Merilna tehnika d.o.o.), founded in 1989 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and now headquartered in Komenda, Slovenia, designs and manufactures non-contact magnetic rotary and linear encoders, encoder ICs, and interpolators used for motor feedback and joint position control in industrial and collaborative robotics. Renishaw plc holds a 50% ownership stake in RLS and distributes RLS-designed encoders through its own global sales network.

Key Facts

  • Founded: December 1989, in Ljubljana, Slovenia; specialized in magnetic encoders and components from 2000 onward
  • Type: Component/subsystem supplier — magnetic encoder and encoder IC manufacturer
  • Status: Active, privately held; 50% owned by Renishaw plc (associate company relationship)
  • Key metric(s): AksIM-2™/AksIM-4™ off-axis absolute magnetic encoders reach up to 20–21 bit resolution and system accuracy up to ±0.005°; RM08 and RMB20 miniature rotary magnetic encoder modules reach up to 60,000 RPM maximum speed
  • Value chain position: Component/subsystem supplier (encoders and encoder ICs sold to robot, machine tool, and EV manufacturers and integrators — not a platform vendor)

What It Is / How It Works

RLS’s product line spans rotary magnetic encoders (incremental and absolute, in shaft, ring, and shaftless mounting configurations), linear magnetic encoders, and standalone components (magnetic sensor ICs, optomodules, analogue interpolators) used to build custom encoder solutions. Its AksIM series of off-axis absolute rotary magnetic encoders is specifically marketed for robotic joint feedback — non-contact operation avoids the wear and contamination sensitivity of optical or contact-based alternatives, which matters in compact humanoid, exoskeleton, and surgical robot joints where space and weight are tightly constrained. The company was, per its own account, the first to develop the now industry-standard concept of measuring rotation via a Hall sensor ASIC reading a diametrically polarized magnet placed directly above it — a technique now used in millions of ASICs sold industry-wide each year.

RLS operates as an associate company of Renishaw, which holds a 50% ownership stake and sells and supports RLS’s magnetic encoders through its own global distribution and applications-engineering network; RLS in turn handles direct sales and support of Renishaw products in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and North Macedonia. This is a more entangled relationship than a typical reseller/distributor arrangement — the two companies have run joint research projects and market strategies for over 15 years.

Notable Developments

  • Ongoing: RLS continues to expand its Artos™ absolute magnetic encoder system product line (listed as a “new products” release on the company’s site as of this review).
  • 2020-10-01: RLS joins the EU Horizon 2020-funded Mag-ID consortium to develop TMR (tunnel magnetoresistance) sensor arrays for magnetic barcode reading applications.

Key People / Key Organizations

  • Janez Novak — Director, RLS (quoted in company careers materials). LinkedIn: not found.

People — Last Reviewed: 2026-07-15

Sources

  • About RLS — founding date and location, Renishaw ownership/partnership relationship, Hall sensor ASIC origin claim, Mag-ID consortium involvement
  • Motor feedback | RLS — product catalog and specifications (AksIM, Orbis, RMB20, RM08, AM4096)
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