Rockwell bids for larger share of pushbutton market with 'future-proofed'
800F range
The UK market for pushbuttons, currently in the region of £12m, is set to
grow as industrial control OEM's continue to invest in the sector. That's
the view of Rockwell Automation's industrial controls divisional
marketing manager, Jeff Stewart, who is seeing increased activity among
his OEM customers and in some instances, double digit growth. Rockwell
already has a respectable share of the UK pushbutton market, but is
poised to make even more of a mark on the sector with the all new
Allen-Bradley 800F range.
The new 800F products will eventually replace Rockwell's existing
pushbutton range, though the latter will be supported for some years to
come. Significantly, the 800F range has been designed to meet all current
and future standards, not least being its compliance with the RoHS
(Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic
Equipment) Directive, which comes into force in July 2006. The new
pushbuttons are also CCC approved for the Chinese market.
Technically, the IP66 rated 800F range offers a number off innovative
features. The self-monitoring contact block, for example, provides
enhanced emergency stop protection through an integral fail-safe,
vibration-proof mechanism that ensures the contacts do not remain closed
when the stop button is pressed, even if the equipment develops a fault.
Additionally, Rockwell's QuadConnect contact block technology is
available for low voltage switching. Unlike conventional contacts, this
configuration is extremely sensitive and responsive in the 17V (5mA) to
5V (1mA) range, allowing direct connection to electronic devices such as
PLCs, without the need for an interface.
Interchangeable plastic and metal parts increase the flexibility of these
pushbuttons. A variety of latches, contact blocks and bright LED
illumination is available, and the low profile construction of the 800F
allows any operator component to be combined with any back-of-panel
component for easy maintenance. Pushbutton caps and diffusers can be
laser engraved with text or logos to meet the specific customisation
needs of customers, and users are free to choose from a selection of LED
options to light indicator lamps and illuminated versions of the selector
switches and pushbuttons.
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