As warm weather approaches, our thoughts turn longingly to sunny days on the beach, the sounds of burgers sizzling on the grill, kids splashing from the pool and of course, the ubiquitous sound of lawn mowers and weed-wackers playing an ever present symphony just behind us like mechanical crickets in the summer air.
And yes, hiding even deeper and much more quietly behind the general din of summer, are CPI waterproof Limit Switches doing their part to keep grasses greener on every side of the fence.
It turns out that for turf equipment manufacturers, CPI waterproof limit switches solve a wide variety of problems in the hot, wet, highly vibrational environment of most turf machinery. Here a just a few of the applications and solutions CPI provides.
Mower Deck-Up Interlock Switch – On commercial mowers, knowing where the mower deck is, and when it’s locked in place, is probably the safety issue on these machines. One of the most elegant solutions uses our mechanically actuated J4 ball switch to relay deck position back to other safety interlock functions on the mower, preventing inadvertent blade drive and loss of fingers and such.
The J4 is the perfect switch for this, one of our smallest form factor, yet toughest switches among a product line already defined by its durability. Our J4 waterproof switch is all stainless steel exterior construction with a plunger design that survives exposure to power washers, oil, shock, sand, slurry, grass and temperatures from -65F to 221F. That typically means mounting positions on or near the engine are no problem for our switch. Nor is mowing your lawn in the Artic winter if that’s your thing…
Deck Lift System Limit Switch – Also related to critical mower deck operation is the deck lift system which controls blade height above the ground. To sense the mower deck position, our almost indestructible E1 series Limit switches are used, often mounted in exposed locations surrounding the mower deck. But that’s no problem for our switch as the sealed santoprene pendant switch inside our stainless steel actuator bracket are virtually impervious to water, vibration, oil, gas, and other particulates floating around a commercial mower. Commonly used sensing brackets include:
These are typically paired with our B-Series momentary switches. All B-Series switches are completely sealed and truly waterproof, not splash proof or water resistant.
Operator Presence Detection (Dead Mans Switch) – Used for safety sensing under the seat of the operator, our small E1 series bracket like our 1294 is commonly used to disable the engine or mower when the operator is not seated. Hopefully this is not because he is actually dead, but the name comes from the railroad industry where this concept was originally developed and where CPI switches have been used for the same purpose..
Neutral Safety – Both the CPI J4 Series and the E1 Series have been used for neutral safety detection in everything from mowers to woodchippers, to prevent certain operations or movement when the engine is not in neutral. The small form factor and super durability of both switch family solutions make these perfect design-ins for vehicles from commercial mowers, to backhoe’s, to Humvee’s and troop carriers. The high temperature operation and resistance to vibration are key factors contributing to the success of our switches in this application.
Get on the right Turf with CPI Switches
Made for super reliable operation outdoors with a small form factor, you just can’t kill our switches. We help engineers all over the world solve tough switching and sensing applications with both off the shelf, and custom switches.
Call us today to discuss your application or visit our website at https://www.cpi-nj.com
This blog was originally published at https://www.cpi-nj.com/turf-equipment-is-our-turf/
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The E1221 bracket coupled with our B-Series switches is a roller-lever type actuator that provides smooth engagement for sliding type actuation. The roller itself is low profile for tight spaces and the Delrin roller is a type of hard plastic known for keeping its shape and hardness across a wide temperature range.
Our E1117 stainless steel roller lever actuator is commonly combined with our B9113 SPDT low-pushbutton waterproof switch. Designed for high durability and outdoor use, this commonly used limit switch configuration has an extended temperature range (-40F to 221F) coupled with long cycle life over 100,000 cycles up to 5 million cycles depending on voltage/amperage usage. Wire connections are sealed standard 24″ wires, 18AWG, custom sizes available.
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