We are going to discuss a technology that is heavily used by the automotive, medical, home and medical industries worldwide in numerous markets. The technology may be very small in size but it can have a major impact on any machine or equipment to normalize its operations. Keep reading to know more.
For those who have started to guess the technology, I will not let you think about this anymore and will immediately start talking about “microswitch”. It has a micro term because the company that started it commercially has this term in its name, Micro Switch Corporation. There are many benefits of this technology and it is available in numerous types. But today our focus will be mainly on how it actually works.
These switches are often called snap-action switches and are widely used in the design of control system applications, elevator panels, vending machines, printers, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.
But the question here is why are these switches called snap-action units? Well it’s because a spring used in these switches tends to push the actuator for repeated movements into specific positions. Let us now break down its components to have a better view of this technology:
mount actuator
The actuator is an integral part of any switch that is responsible for the action movements. In a microswitch, an actuator is assembled by making three holes through which the cable can easily pass. It also has a button that changes the position of the switch from the sleep state to the active state once it is pressed.
Internal structure
If you open a plastic or metal case of any switch, you will find a moving contact on it. A U-shaped metal strip usually comes out of this contact that acts as a spring and is responsible for applying force to eventually change the state of a switch’s actions. The main task of the moving contact is to establish a connection between the contacts which is facilitated by the protrusions at both ends. In addition, there are also a couple of stationary contacts, mainly for NC and NO positions.
Common Contact Strip and Bent Strip
Another important element in a microswitch is a common contact strip that contains all parts of the contact assembly. Its upper part joins with the casing while the lower part protrudes through which contact can be made.
The folded strip, on the other hand, is placed under the actuator assembly. It simply transfers the force applied by the actuator to the moving contact. As soon as the force is released, the switch returns to the rest position.
After using technical terms galore, things may not be easy to take in unless you are associated with this field. Micro switches work with the combination of the aforementioned parts.
In short, this technology may not be that simple to understand. But I have tried to illustrate the basic mechanism which will generally give you an idea of its key functionalities. In addition, it will help you understand the reasons why it is so important in the world of technology.