MICRO SWITCH

MICRO SWITCH can be widely used in the following fields:

• Consumer Electronics
  Micro Switch, also known as micro travel switch or snap switch, is a large electrical switch that can be triggered by tiny physical force. It has the characteristics of high sensitivity, rapid response and high durability. It is widely used in various fields that require precise control and safety protection.
  1. Household appliances
     • Electric fan: control switch or safety protection function
     • Washing machine: Door lock switch sensor
     • Microwave oven: door switch detection
     • Refrigerator: Door switch sensor lighting
     • Coffee/juice machine: safety lock detection
  2. Automotive electronics
     • Door sensor switch: turn on or off interior lighting or central door lock
     • Seat belt detection switch
     • Brake and clutch pedal sensing switches
     • Power window and seat control switches
  3. Industrial Automation Equipment
     • Robotic arm limit switch
     • Conveyor belt position detection
     • Packaging machine, printing machine position control
     • Safety door interlock switch
  4. Medical Equipment
     • Dental equipment operation controls
     • Start and limit switches for medical testing equipment
     • Bed position adjustment device sensing
  5. Electronic and communication products
     • Click switch for computer mouse (common application)
     • Dial control switch for telephone base
     • Mobile device case sensor switch
  6. Security and access control systems
     • Monitor door magnetic switch detection
     • Electric lock switch
     • Emergency stop devices (such as fire alarm access control)
  7. Agricultural and construction equipment
     • Mechanical motion detection for harvesters and sprinklers
     • Construction crane and lifting platform safety sensors
  8. Games and entertainment equipment
     • Game console key switches
     • Coin-operated machine motion control switch
  9. Smart furniture and IoT devices
     • Smart cabinet/drawer switch sensor
     • Lighting linkage control switch
• Features and advantages
  • Small size and high sensitivity
  • Long service life (more than one million times)
  • Able to withstand high current loads
  • Suitable for a variety of environments and temperature conditions

Common problems encountered by Micro Switches, and related technologies to overcome them during manufacturing:

1. Poor contact or unstable signal
   Frequently Asked Questions:
   • Oxidation or wear of contacts causing intermittent circuits.
   • Silver contacts are susceptible to sulfurization in high humidity environments.
   Technical countermeasures:
   • Use high quality metals (such as silver plating, gold plating, nickel alloy) as contact materials.
   • Add dust and moisture proof structures to the design (such as sealed Micro Switch).
   • Perform anti-oxidation treatment and encapsulation protection.


2. Mechanical life limit
   Frequently Asked Questions:
   • Frequent operation over a long period of time may cause fatigue of the internal spring or push rod.
   • Friction of structural parts causes jamming and poor sliding.
   Technical countermeasures:
   • Choose highly elastic and fatigue-resistant materials (such as stainless steel springs).
   • Increase lubrication treatment and improve sliding structure design.
   • Ensure reliability through life tests (such as 100,000 to 1 million switching cycle tests).


3. Inconsistent operating force
   Frequently Asked Questions:
   • The force required to activate the switch is inconsistent, affecting the control feel or automation accuracy.
   Technical countermeasures:
   • Strictly control process tolerance and spring force curve.
   • Customizable operating force (e.g. 50g, 100g, etc.) to meet application requirements.
   • Introduce automatic testing equipment to calibrate the switch operating force range.


4. Insufficient water and dust resistance (IP rating)
   Frequently Asked Questions:
   • In outdoor or humid environments, water or dust may enter the switch and cause malfunction.
   Technical countermeasures:
   • Adopt IP67 or higher protection level design (waterproof sealing structure, rubber ring packaging).
   • Cover the actuator lever with a waterproof silicone cover.
   • Ultrasonic welding or heat press sealing to enhance sealing.


5. Poor installation or welding
   Frequently Asked Questions:
   • Failure due to bending or deformation of solder joints or cold solder joints.
   • Excessive or insufficient solder affects contact stability.
   Technical countermeasures:
   • Design SMD (Surface Mount) or THT (Through Hole Solder) compatible products.
   • Provide precise guide pin positioning design and good support structure.
   • Introducing AOI optical inspection and X-Ray welding inspection systems at the production end.


6. Incorrect operation or misoperation
   Frequently Asked Questions:
   • False triggering in vibration or external force environment.
   Technical countermeasures:
   • Increase anti-interference design (such as higher operating force, hysteresis design).
   • Design bounce suppression circuit to avoid false triggering due to switch bounce.


7. Environmental tolerance issues
   Frequently Asked Questions:
   • High temperature, low temperature, and corrosive environment can cause performance degradation.
   Technical countermeasures:
   • Choose high temperature resistant plastics (such as PPS, PA66) and UV resistant materials.
   • Electroplating of corrosion resistant metal layers (e.g. salt spray resistant copper-tin alloy).
   • Passed IEC and UL environmental test certification.


8. Cost and product consistency control
   Frequently Asked Questions:
   • Quality variation and high cost in mass production.
   Technical countermeasures:
   • Introduce automated assembly and testing processes.
   • Multi-stage quality inspection (IQC, OQC, life test).
   • Modular design and standardized material management reduce costs.

We can improve the performance and reliability of micro switches from multiple aspects such as material selection, structural design, process control and quality inspection to meet the durability, stability and safety requirements of various products.

Common customized Micro Switch product requirements include :

1. Size and appearance
   • Miniature design: When used in small electronic products (such as wearable devices, remote controls), ultra-small slide switches are required to save space.
   • Shell material: Choose high temperature resistant, corrosion resistant or waterproof material according to environmental requirements.
   • Color customization: Customize the switch housing color according to brand design or product appearance requirements.
2. Electrical parameters
   • Operating Voltage and Current: Adjust the voltage and current rating of the slide switch to suit specific applications (e.g., high-power devices need to support higher currents).
   • Contact resistance: Reduce contact resistance to improve the stability and efficiency of signal transmission.
   • Multi-gear design: Multiple gears can be designed as required, such as 2 gears, 3 gears or even more, for multi-mode selection.
3. Mechanical properties
   • Sliding damping: Adjust the sliding resistance according to the user's operating experience requirements to provide a suitable feel.
   • Life requirements: Improve the durability of slide switches to meet the requirements of high-frequency use in specific applications such as industrial equipment.
   • Positioning accuracy: Design higher precision positioning mechanisms for applications that require precise switching, such as test instruments.
4. Environmental adaptability
   • Waterproof/dustproof: Suitable for outdoor devices or environments with high humidity (such as smart homes or outdoor lighting).
   • High or low temperature resistance: Switches designed to withstand high temperatures (such as 200°C) or low temperatures (such as -40°C) for extreme environments.
   • Shock/impact resistant: Suitable for slide switches in vehicle-mounted or portable devices.
5. Installation
   • Soldering form: customized solder pin design (such as straight pin, bent pin) to match different PCB layouts.
   • Surface mount (SMD) or through hole (THT): Choose different installation methods according to customer's assembly requirements.
   • Quick-plug structure: suitable for equipment that requires frequent replacement of parts.
6. Special features
   • Multi-function integration: Combine with LED indicators or additional buttons to achieve multi-function operation.
   • Self-locking mechanism: Design slide switches with self-locking function for use in equipment that requires stable operation (such as medical devices).
   • Smart connectivity: Slide switches used in smart products may integrate microprocessors to support digital signal control.
7. Security
   • Insulation performance: Enhanced insulation design to cope with high voltage or high frequency applications (such as industrial equipment or medical equipment).
   • Anti-arc design: reduces the risk of arcing during high voltage operation.
8. Logo and Identification
   • Function identification: Add marks or symbols to the switch to facilitate user identification of operation.
   • Brand customization: Print or engrave the brand logo on the switch surface.

• Consumer electronics: Customize ultra-thin slide switches to meet the internal structure requirements of mobile phones or tablets.
• Industrial Control: High-durability slide switches are used in robotic arm control systems.
• In-car equipment: Waterproof slide switches are used for in-car lighting and audio control.