For those who have not heard of a Micro Switch, this small and rather sensitive switch necessitates nominal compression to activate. This switch is present in household appliances and switch panels. More advantages? The switch is usually low-priced and has a long life. It is capable of performing many as ten million cycles. Another common use of a micro switch is as a safety device. An example is its use in a door to ensure it doesn’t close when a person or an object comes is in the way. So how does this switch work? It is very simple, and everyone can understand it.
A Micro Switch – How Does It Work?
A micro switch has an actuator. What happens when the actuator is depressed? The micro switch lever lifts and moves the contacts into the requisite position. This switch, when pressed, makes a “clicking” sound. When the user hears this sound, he becomes aware of the actuation.
A Micro switch is characterized by fixing holes that make it easy to mount and secure into place. Being a very simple switch, it requires minimum maintenance. It also lasts long and so hardly needs to be replaced.
How Is This Switch Beneficial?
The prime pro of this switch is its low price. A couple of other pros are its long life and very little maintenance. This switch is also versatile. A few models have an IP67 protection rating. What is their specialty? They are anti-dust and anti-water. Thus, they work well in conditions where they are open to water and dust.
What Are The Various Applications Of This Switch?
Micro Switches are very prevalent in household appliance applications, automation, building, and security applications. Below is a list of some of its applications.
1.As push buttons for call points and alarms.
2.Within turning devices in surveillance cameras.
3.In access control panels and HVAC applications.
4.In an elevator, as buttons and door locks.
5.In timer controls.
6.In a washing machine as buttons and door locks and to detect the water level.
7.In AC units.
8.In ice and water dispensers in Refrigerators.
9.In rice cookers and microwave ovens, this switch detects the cover’s open/close status in rice cookers. It’s used as a “safety short switch” in microwave ovens.
10.For prompting alert whenever a device is dismounted – This is achieved with a micro switch lever, knob, plunger, or a different actuator.
Premium manufacturers of switching and sensing solutions use micro switches in several of their products. Some examples are pressure and vacuum switches, footswitches, and hand controls. They have their micro switch supplier. Their micro switches are of various sizes and have different connections based on the application of a client. Those who are interested can know more about their micro switches on their website.