Platform for the food and beverage industry
'The devil is in the details,' it says in English. Or, more simply, the difference is in the details. An expression that is never far away in the hygienic design of machines and components and the reason why EAO, experts in Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs), is further committed to reliable and food-safe switches.
Since 1989, the EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group) has been establishing guidelines to encourage hygienic design of process equipment. Among other things, the condition of various surfaces is an important consideration in this regard: after all, they must be easy to clean and non-absorbent, pose no toxicological hazard and be free of imperfections such as crevices or cracks. Criteria that EAO has clearly put first in the development of some new switches.
Already last year, EAO expanded its versatile Series 82 - good for as many as 40,000 configuration options - with a series of pushbuttons, illuminated or not, with stainless steel 316L housing. The round shapes of the switches allow for easy cleaning, while the new metal fronts provide exceptional protection against all kinds of corrosion, including salts and alkaline cleaners. In addition, like other Series 82 pushbuttons, the stainless steel switches enjoy high impact resistance (IK10) and water resistance to IP67 on the front and back.
This year, however, EAO goes a step further and launches the Series 84 IO-Link Touch, including variants in stainless steel or EHEDG-certified hygienic design. These switches are completely flat and free of crevices, seams or moving parts, and consequently comply even better with hygienic design guidelines. Things like lighting, color, symbols and design, as well as capacitive sensitivity, can be fully customized and set to suit the application. In addition, the switches allow easy transition to digitalization and Industry 4.0. The switches are easy to address and in addition to basic circuit information, reliability information, for example, can be captured and monitored. Thanks to the globally applied IO-Link communication protocol and fully programmable connection options, the switches can also be easily networked with advanced machine systems via an integrated M12 5-pin screw connector.
