Thanks to China's heavy industry, eBay is awash with just about every industrial control component you could desire. OK, not always the best quality, but fine for personal projects.
This is an E-stop button (Emergency stop) that has a large mushroom head to whack in the event of emergency and then latches in. They are normally wired in series with the control circuit to kill power to most of a machines components.
I bought this one just to see what sort of quality it was. And visually it looks absolutely fine. It does have proper contacts of unknown composition and seems quite robust. More robust that some big-brand ones I got for a gas jet shut-off system some time ago that literally fell to bits after a few uses. I can't remember the brand, but it was high enough profile to be surprising when they failed.
This switch is surprising for a different reason. It has no less than FORTY separate bits. It's actually worth buying purely to use as an engineers jigsaw puzzle.
It comes with a normally closed (control circuit) switch and a normally open (E-stop signal) switch, and the switch modules are the type that can be paired and stacked to the required number of circuits. They're probably compatible with a whole range of buttons and actuators. (They are... search for LAY37)
The locking and releasing system works fine. It passed my "beat the crap out of it" test with flying colours.
Here's a link to the ebay listing I bought it from. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201403616296
This is an E-stop button (Emergency stop) that has a large mushroom head to whack in the event of emergency and then latches in. They are normally wired in series with the control circuit to kill power to most of a machines components.
I bought this one just to see what sort of quality it was. And visually it looks absolutely fine. It does have proper contacts of unknown composition and seems quite robust. More robust that some big-brand ones I got for a gas jet shut-off system some time ago that literally fell to bits after a few uses. I can't remember the brand, but it was high enough profile to be surprising when they failed.
This switch is surprising for a different reason. It has no less than FORTY separate bits. It's actually worth buying purely to use as an engineers jigsaw puzzle.
It comes with a normally closed (control circuit) switch and a normally open (E-stop signal) switch, and the switch modules are the type that can be paired and stacked to the required number of circuits. They're probably compatible with a whole range of buttons and actuators. (They are... search for LAY37)
The locking and releasing system works fine. It passed my "beat the crap out of it" test with flying colours.
Here's a link to the ebay listing I bought it from. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201403616296
My laser came with this one and it was wired reversed so you switched it on when pushing it. I tore it apart and switched the contacts thanks to this inspirational video, thanks once again!
Those should have a lock in them so you cannot close the circuit without a key. That way the cause of emergency will be solved before closing the circuit.
There are some quite more robust emergency switches on AliExpress I had to order 3 different ones, before i got a super quality one. The one here shown was the worst If you like, i can take a picture of them and send it to you…
I have many fond memories of pressing E-Stop buttons from my old air induction system manufacturing days. They ran the machines into the ground after scrapping the annual summer shutdown for routine maintenance. After that, the machines would breakdown almost constantly.
Still easily the best job I ever had.
A little too big for my raspberry pi lol
The normally closed contact is at least 'forced disconnect' that is even if the contacts where welded shut the force of pressing the button would physically drive them apart. That's a tick from me.
what's the point with that video wt*…
Pretty dry but informative. My first E-stop switch and I didn't know how to wire it. Seems all that's needed is to use the red side of it to break the circuit. Long way to find out but at least it works now.
Wow. That is insanely complicated!
I remember some of these sort of switches from several decades ago. There was no need to latch the stop button because the latching was done by a relay when you put the machinery in question into a run mode. There were actuators, like the big red button for stop, the somewhat recessed button for run/jog, and the rotating collar where you would select run or jog, as a part of that start button assembly. The hardware was made, if I recall correctly, by Cutler-Hammer. You would screw the switches that you wanted (which could be stacked to an insane degree) on the back of the acutator, and you'd end up with the complete unit. Wish I still had some of that stuff from back then…
Clive, would'nt it be possible to get you interested in "stress-testing" these switches? Maybe measure amperages at which the switch casing gets soft, starts to melt, decomposes or the switch catastrophically fails? I'd be the first one to watch! 😀
So there are no slave workers in China, just puzzle solvers 😛
Clive, I just found this video now because I just received this switch from Amzn, to fix my 12"x36" 2004 Chinese lathe. ~Wondering what's with the red & green sides? ~TG for Clive! I would most likely scratched my head testing it for a few. The point commenting on a 4 year old video? This was very relevant to me and my situation, thanks.
Those look like a clever clone of the Standard emergency stop commonly used in Canadian schools and colleges on large equipment in welding, construction and automotive classes. Unless there universally standard
Holy Rubik's cube Batman!
Much easier with dainty little child fingers
Nice switch to have on a table saw or a band saw.
Percussive fidget spinner
I use one of these as the e-stop and main power switch on my printer's power supply. "Whacking" the mushroom head would probably make it a one use item.