C&K Designs IP68-Sealed, Rugged Pushbutton Switch for Harsh Environments

Nov. 10, 2010 - PRLog -- C&K Components, a leading international supplier of pushbutton switches, tact switches, toggle and rocker switches, and smart card interconnect devices, has developed a series of rugged pushbutton switches.  Designated the NP series, the switches feature 1,000,000 life cycles and are sealed to IP68 specifications.  The NP series has wire or solder termination options and can be mounted by a threaded front or rear mount and slot mount.  Capable of up to 5A resistive load, the switches are ideal for harsh environments, off-road, industrial, transportation and military applications where strong switch feedback and high-current switching is pivotal.

“These pushbutton switches feature a robust design including gold-over-silver contacts for low-power applications or silver-plated contacts.  The IP68 sealing and extended life cycles make them ideally suited for high reliability applications where repair is near impossible,” said, Gary Mountford, General Manager, C&K Components. “Coupled with multiple housing styles and wire lead options, the switches offer an ideal solution for designers who are seeking a rugged component.”

The NP series features an aluminum housing that is RoHS-compliant.  Actuation force is 8N ± 1N, and travel to contact is 1.6  ± 0.15mm with an over travel rated at a minimum of .045.  Total travel to contact is 1.6 ± 0.15mm.  The rugged switch is able to withstand a vibration force of 10-500Hz per 10g and a shock rating of 50g 11ms sawtooth wave.  

The pushbutton switch offers a maximum switching ability rated at 2A of current, contact resistance of 50mΩ and dielectric strength of 1000V AC for 1 min.  Voltages are 10mA/5 VDC for the gold-over-silver contact material specified for low-power applications.  The silver contact option provides voltage ratings of 1A/28 VDC at 1,000,000 cycles, 5A/28 VDC at 25,000 cycles (resistive) and 3A/28 VDC at 25,000 cycles (inductive).  

Operating temperatures for the NP series ranges from -55°C to +105°C.

C&K Components will be exhibiting at Electronica, November 9-12, 2010 in Hall B5, Booth 348 in Munich, Germany.

About C&K Components
C&K Components is a division of CoActive Technologies, a privately held company manufacturing electromechanical switches, interface controls, keypads, dome arrays and modules.  www.ck-components.com