The optimal push button for the food industry

With the Series 82, EAO offers the optimal push button for vandal-resistant, stylish HMI controls for use in harsh industrial environments, public areas and for access control. "We particularly focus on the food industry with this series, as strict hygiene requirements must be met in this sector," says Dave Polman, Managing Director of EAO Benelux.

The rugged, stainless steel, brass or anodized aluminum housings of the Series 82 pushbuttons are shockproof to IK10 and IP65/IP67 protected. "These features make it possible to clean them thoroughly. Alkaline cleaners are required to remove organic contaminants, preventing bacterial and mold growth. After all, food products must not become contaminated. It is important that machines and control panels can withstand water and this type of cleaning agent." In addition, they must also be able to withstand a good deal. "In practice, workers press the push buttons not only with their fingers, but also with the tool or knife they happen to be holding in their hands at the time. The Series 82 is designed to be robust enough to withstand this."

40,000 configurations

The push buttons are available with step or pulse function, with or without LED lighting, while there is also a choice of one- or two-color LEDs and point lighting or modern ring lighting. "A total of up to 40,000 configurations are possible due to shape, lighting, connection, desired symbols, laser engravings, degree of tactile sensitivity, and so on." Composition is easy to make with the Series 82 configurator.

Customized

The big advantage is that EAO Benelux can also supply customized panels, Polman explains. "We are a subsidiary of the international company EAO AG, headquartered in Switzerland. Since we also have a production department at our location, we can provide added value for the switches. More and more machine builders or developers are outsourcing modules and focusing on assemblies. This means that they often want customized panels with, for example, an additional cable or connector. Thanks to our own production site, we can assemble customer-specific panels. We expect that there will be even more demand for this in the future."

Corrosion-resistant

The Series 82 has been on the market for some time. "Nevertheless, we continue to develop. There are now several variants on the market. For example, compared to the 304, the series 82 316L has an even higher corrosion resistance thanks to the high-quality stainless steel 316L. In short, depending on the application, we can offer the desired solution."