Extends the ability of users to safely stop equipment that is remote, hard to reach, or in motion.
A new assisted emergency stop (AE-stop) switch has been added to IDEC's wide range of safety products. The XW1E carries forward the same performance and patented features of other e-stop switches in the IDEC portfolio, while adding an optional solenoid-operated activation assist function so designers can incorporate improved safety in the form of remotely-commanded e-stop operation.
Establishing a proper e-stop circuit, which commonly includes one or more e-stop buttons and other associated components, is essential for creating safe equipment designs. Workers will press an e-stop switch (button), latching it in the down position and de-energizing the e-stop circuit, to safely stop machines and other equipment when needed. The e-stop switch must be manually pulled back to the up position when the problem condition is cleared to reset the e-stop circuit.
Traditional e-stop switches work well for fixed installations with easy access. However, modern factories, warehouses, and similar sites increasingly have incorporated automated machinery and equipment, extensive robotics, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and other self-driving vehicles. What if automated equipment and/or payloads are moving in a manner that makes it challenging for workers to reach an e-stop switch?
Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear standard IEC 60947-5-5:2026 includes specific requirements for e- stop devices, and they now allow for the embedding of additional functions. This development has made possible some new and unique capabilities for e-stops.
Expanding e-stop capabilities.
IDEC has designed the new XW1E assisted e-stop switch based on the same fundamentals as other e-stop switches in the lineup, but with a brand-new additional functionality—the optional capability of being externally activated by a remotely-sourced signal. While the switch itself is safety-rated, the assisted activation is not a safety-rated function.
The AE-stop is a robust industrial-grade device with a compact form factor installable in a standard 22mm mounting hole, and it comes with an IP65 and UL Type 4X (indoor) rating. Designed and tested to withstand at least 250,000 mechanical/electrical operations, exceptional durability is assured. A red button top cap is easily seen, and it requires 11N to push latched, 17N to pull reset, or 0.27N-m to turn reset. A set of standard 1NO2NC contacts with push-in terminals provide one monitoring contact and two main contacts suitable for integrating with a wide variety of safety circuit designs.
The AE-stop physical mechanism uses a unique and patented “reverse energy structure” for an additional degree of safety, with a spring arranged to operate the e-stop if it is physically damaged in certain ways. Competitive devices can fail to drive equipment to a safe state under these conditions.
Where the AE-stop switch goes beyond traditional switches is with the addition of a 24V DC solenoid, which when energized will drive the button into the push latched state just as if a local person did so. This functionality allows designers to create more sophisticated ways for personnel, and even other automation components, to operate an e-stop circuit, providing improved options for creating safe design.
A remote activation signal may be generated by another safety device, an external sensor or controller, or even a wireless system or other more advanced options. It is important to note that whether a person or the solenoid push latches the AE-stop switch, the switch can only be reset locally and manually by a person. The overall design of the AE-stop switch preserves all basic and standard e-stop functionality in compliance with associated industry standards, and it simply provides new opportunities to create even safer equipment designs.
The IDEC assisted e-stop switch is designed to provide innovative new capabilities meeting the very latest safety standards, in an industry-leading small form factor rated for challenging environmental conditions. This style of assisted e-stop provides greater capabilities for new and retrofit applications such as robotics, AGV/AMR, logistics equipment, agricultural and construction machinery, the service industry, and anywhere else where automated equipment and moving payloads might make it challenging for users to reach a conventional e-stop switch when needed.
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