Slip rings are electromechanical devices which continuously transmit power and electrical signals from a static component to a rotating component and vice-versa..

Such devices have many names, including rotary joints, electric rotary joints, sliding contacts, etc.

It is clear that this solution, with its capacity for continuous rotation, greatly simplifies assembly and does away with the need for complex articulated cabling systems and their associated risk of damage and downtime, thus drastically reducing maintenance requirements.

Depending on the transmission technology, slip rings can transmit power, data or both together; their power transmission capacity ranges from mW to MW, according to the needs of the application and configuration; data can be digital or analogue I/O, including fieldbus data up to 10 Gb/s