What are microswitches and their uses?
WHAT ARE MICRO SWITCHES?
A microswitch is also known as a miniature snap-action switch. It is an electrical switch that is operated with a little (physical) force. This force is given with the help of a turning point mechanism which is also known as a centering mechanism. Microswitches are very common in the market due to their low cost with high durability. Speaking of its durability, it can last over 1 million cycles and up to approximately 10 million cycles. The durability of the microswitch comes naturally due to its design.
The first miniature snap-action switch was introduced by Phillip Kenneth McGall in 1932.
BUILDING
A microswitch comes with two conductive springs that are present internally. A long spring that is flat by nature is hinged on one side of the microswitch and on the other side, it has electrical contacts. A small size curved spring is connected between the fulcrum that is present near the midpoint of the spring and the flat spring that is present by the contacts. The small curved spring has strong tension and is anchored, so the spring cannot move in the right direction.
The small spring pulls, presses, the small spring in the direction away from the anchor point. Speaking of geometry, the force acting in the upward direction is directly proportional to the displacement. This fact reduces the chances that the small flat and curved spring will descend.
WHERE ARE MICRO SWITCHES USED?
Microswitches are very beneficial and are used in many places in industry and also in domestic applications. They are used in security and automation, construction and various household applications. For example →
- Pushbuttons for pushbuttons and alarms: Microswitches are used as buttons on emergency stop controls, fire alarms and emergency door openers. A person can press this microswitch which is a button to activate an alarm manually.
- Triggers: Microswitches are also used as triggers to protect devices so that they cannot be disassembled. Card readers, infrared detection alarms, and access control panels come with a microswitch because every time the device is damaged, disassembled or removed, people will know it due to the activation of the alarm.
- Camera surveillance: Microswitches are commonly used in the turning device. The role of the microswitches here is that when the device reaches its maximum point of movement, the microswitch will activate. Also, the microswitch makes sure that the camera moves in the direction it is supposed to and not anywhere else.
- HVAC Applications: Used to discover the switches on the control panels, as well as the change in air pressure.
