Basic switches are not created equal: high-quality switch components can have real sex appeal for the informed engineer

Switches come in many styles—rocker, toggle, thumbwheel, key, pushbutton to name a few. Yet with the thousands of choices designers have for switches, many times the selection of a switch, its mounting and connection is frequently left to the end of the design cycle. What many engineers don’t realize is that treating switch selection as an afterthought may have significant negative consequences to the end product’s performance. Therefore, clearly understanding the difference between switch types, their characteristics and expected performance is key to your products’  success in the marketplace.

While there are hundreds of styles and designs, focusing on the basic precision industrial switch will illustrate how the mechanical characteristics of switches can differ dramatically. Also, engineering expertise, material selection and the supplier’s infrastructure can play a major role in component quality, and therefore, your product. So, what are the characteristics of a precision switch a designer needs to note? While most engineers are well versed in the operations of a basic switch, the following primer will illustrate what to focus on when designing-in this component.