Product category:
Safety relays, interlocks, control systems, electrical components
News Release from: Mechan Controls | Subject: SSR and SSC non-contact safety switches
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 27 March 2008
Non-contact safety switches coded
electronically
Electronically coded non-contact safety switches ensure that equipment cannot be started unless machine guards are closed, and stops working equipment if any attempt is made to open a guard.
UK based manufacturer Mechan Controls has announced two electronically coded non-contact safety switches, the SSR and the SSC The new units build upon a proven track record of the original SSS switch, said Mechan, which protects staff by ensuring that equipment cannot be started unless the machine guards are securely closed
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 29 Aug 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Non-contact safety switches made in SS
Standard magnetic or coded magnetic non-contact safety switches for industrial machinery are now available in low-maintenance, 316 grade stainless steel.
Rugged SS safety switch tolerates misalignment
Stainless steel machine-guard safety switch is a damage-resistant non-contact design that is tolerant to misalignment and suitable for use in wash-down applications.
The switches also stop equipment if any attempt is made to open a guard while production is in progress.
All products in the SSS range are tamper resistant and can only be operated by means of an electronically coded actuator.
Like the SSS, the SSR is IP67 rated and is capable of switching up to 2A at 230V AC, but the new unit is now available with dual colour LED indication and up to three contacts - two safety and one auxiliary.
This switching capability means the SSS can work with most safety relays and removes the need for buying a separate switch-specific safety control module.
Moreover, the dual LEDs are driven by the control circuit within the switch, so there can be no false indication.
As a result, the SSR achieves a Category 3 safety rating.
A similar configuration is adopted by the SSC safety switch, which is capable of 500mA switching and has two contacts - one normally open and one normally closed.
Like the other products in the range, it eliminates the threat of false indication and will operate as a stand-alone tamper-proof system without the need for a specific control unit.
Manufactured in an ABS housing, the SSR and SSC feature a 10mm switching distance and are tolerant of misalignment.
The switch and actuator are fully encapsulated, so the units are highly robust and will operate reliably in wet and/or dusty conditions and in environments that are regularly subject to high-pressure hose wash-down procedures.
The SSR switch measures 92 x 24.5 x 23mm and the actuator is slightly narrower, while the SSC is a marginally smaller product, the switch measuring just 82.5 x 19 x 19mm.
Both will operate normally within a temperature range of -10 to +55 deg C and will withstand vibration and shock of up to 50-100Hz/10G.
Designed and manufactured in the UK by Mechan Controls, the SSS range is designed to suit a wide range of needs, affording increased levels of security and the long-term reliability typically expected from electronic safety systems.
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