Button Boxes
Push buttons and control stations, also known as push button boxes, are control and signalling units used to control…
How push industrial push buttons and push button control stations work
A push button control station is a control device containing selectors, switches, push buttons, emergency stop buttons and pilot lights for auxiliary or direct control of industrial processes and machines.
While some boxes are simple, with only two buttons for starting or stopping a machine, others can be more complex and have a wider range of functions. This is the case with lift maintenance push button control stations, which can combine an electrical socket, bell button, up and down buttons, a mushroom-headed emergency stop button and a speed selector.
The different push buttons and push button control stations
You have a variety of options to choose from, including plastic and metal, with different compositions and cut-outs.
Push button control stations can be pendant (also called hanging) or wall-mounted, attached directly to the machine to be controlled. Pendant push button control stations are mainly used in heavy industrial environments on lifting equipment such as block and tackles, bridge cranes and cranes. They allow operators to maintain a sufficiently large safety area between the control unit and the load being lifted.
Wall-mounted push buttons and control stations are used for all other industrial applications.
They are sold fully equipped, empty and pre-drilled, ready to integrate the buttons and signage of your choice, or completely customisable with no cut-outs. With keys, tamper-proof locks, rotary knobs and from 1 to 12 holes, at One-elec you have the choice!
What standards apply to push button control stations?
There are two main standards governing industrial push button control stations.
Standard IEC 60529 regulates the different protection indices depending on the environment in which they are operated. The preferred rating in the industrial sector is IP65, which protects against dust and water jets from all directions (high-pressure cleaners, for example).
Standard IEC 62262 regulates the mechanical resistance of the push button device to shocks. Here too, the industrial sector tends to favour a high IK08 rating, which corresponds to the unit's resistance to an impact of 5 joules, i.e. a mass of 1700 g falling from a height of 300 mm.
Lastly, some push button control panels are ATEX-certified for potentially explosive areas.
Harmony push buttons and push button control stations from Schneider Electric?
The French electrical giant has developed a range of products that cover most industrial applications where robustness and safety are essential. The Harmony range includes push buttons and control stations, renowned for their robustness. At One-elec, you'll find almost 90 products in the Harmony range to equip your fixed or mobile machines.
- Schneider Electric Harmony push-buttons and control stations