In hazardous locations, switches need to operate in the presence of explosive fumes or gases, in dirty or dust-filled environments, in remote parts of the world and around extremely harsh chemicals. To withstand harsh environments, switches must comply with explosion-proof switching requirements to ensure the safety of personnel, equipment, and the environment. MICRO SWITCH hazardous area switches provide protection through a sealed cavity, which incorporates mechanical threads that contain or cool flames, minimizing the risk to the surrounding environment.
Introduction
Safety is one of the top criteria when selecting a switch for hazardous location environments. In many cases, these switches have to operate in the presence of explosive fumes or gases, in dirty or dust-filled environments, in remote parts of the world and around extremely harsh chemicals that breakdown electronics very quickly. These applications, including oil & gas drilling rigs, agricultural environments filled with pesticides and chemicals, and outdoor locations with extreme weather conditions, all pose dangers to personnel, materials, and equipment.
As an example, a hazardous area may have an atmosphere that could potentially ignite, burn, or explode due to a spark caused by electrical equipment. This means the components selected for these applications need to be safe as well as reliable, durable, and long lasting.
To withstand these harsh environments, the switches must comply with explosion-proof switching requirements to ensure the safety of personnel, equipment, and the environment. For example, Honeywell MICRO SWITCH hazardous location switches can reduce the risk of explosion by containing sparks and other electrical events inside the sealed switch body. Under normal conditions, these sparks or electrical events typically do not pose a lot of danger; however, in environments where there are substances that can potentially ignite or explode, sparking and arcing from electrical components is potentially dangerous. The MICRO SWITCH switches provide protection through a sealed switch cavity, which incorporates mechanical threads that contain or cool flames, minimizing the risk to the surrounding environment.
Hazardous location limit switches are used in a variety of industrial applications, ranging from mud pumps, valve positioning, and pig position detectors to gate/door monitoring in grain conveyors and grain gates. Here are several examples of how these switches are used in hazardous or explosive environments.
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