It's easy to think of a manufacturer and instantly think of just one of their products. If you say AC Tech Lenze, I think variable frequency drives. If you say Leuze Electronics, I think sensors. If you say Schmersal, I think safety switches.

Of course, each of these manufacturers has a number of other products they sell.

In this blog I'm going to highlight Schmersal and their complete line of matching safeguarding solutions.

• Safety switches
• Speed control
• Emergency cable-pull switches
• Non-contact safety sensors
• Pulse-echo based non-contact safety sensors
• Hinged safety interlock switches
• Safety rated limit switches
• ASi Technology
• Fail-to-safe safety edges
• Safety pressure mats
• Safety light curtains and beams
• Safety controllers

Marshall Wolf Automation is your authorized industrial automation distributor for the complete line of Schmersal machine safeguarding products. We have in-house engineers to help you find the best products for your application!

Euchner Design Type 2 Safety Switches are used to protect personnel by monitoring and interrupting the safety circuit depending on the position of the machine guard. The locking solenoid holds the guard closed until a stored energy hazard has dissipated. It can also prevent damage to a part in process due to an inadvertent machine shutdown. To meet current worldwide standards, safety interlock components cannot be easily bypassed. These switches have positive opening contacts (in accordance to NFPA 79) and redundancy to guarantee that they fail to a safe state. The STP safety switches have a metal actuator head with a narrow thermoplastic housing.

Design type 2 safety switches have an actuator that is separate from the switch body. The two must be combined or separated for switch operation. 

Contact Marshall Wolf Automation for Euchner pricing at 800-325-9653!

I am impressed with this tool offered by Schmersal. Check out the application finder.

This a great way to see exactly what Schmersal can offer you. Taking a look at the explosion proof devices I see that Schmersal can offer:

• Solenoid interlocks
• Safety switches
• Position switches
• Safety sensors
• Emergency pull switches
• Safety monitoring

Don't forget that Marshall Wolf Automation can expand even further on these applications! In explosion proof products we can also offer industrial light towers, audible alarms, intrinsic safety barriers and more!

You can view all of our Schmersal products now.

Idec recently announced that, effective immediately, they are discontinuing the HS1E series of safety interlock switches.

No need to worry though, the recommended replacement is the Idec HS1L series!

The IDEC HS1L series has increased locking strength of 3000N and offers six contacts with easy-to-wire termination. HS1L is designed to work in applications with large machines that have heavy doors or gates and all models are equipped with a manual lock-release key and an LED indicator.

The indicator is wired independently which gives you flexibility and the screw terminals are easy to wire. No barriers on the sides of the contact terminal enable wiring from the side, making it easier for crimp-terminal connections as well.

Marshall Wolf Automation is an authorized IDEC distributor for their complete line of safety switches, relays, industrial light towers, industrial DC power supplies, operator interfaces and more.

Safety switches have the task of preventing the operation of a machine in the case of a potential hazard. This task is defined in EN 1088 (Safety of machinery. Interlocking devices associated with guards. Principles for design and selection). For this purpose the safety circuit must be opened by the safety switch. Safety switches are therefore key elements of an interlocking device. In general, a differentiation is made between safety switches with safety function (design type 1 safety switches) and safety switches with separate actuator (design type 2 safety switches).

For safety switches positively driven contacts are used in the switching elements. These are special switching elements that are designed to ensure the switching contacts are always reliably separated. Even if contacts welded together, the connection is opened by the actuating force. It is a common feature of all switching elements that at least one switching element is designed as a positively driven contact. Often two positively driven contacts are employed to increase safety using the principle of duplicated design (redundancy). This dual-channel design ensures that on the failure of one channel or on a fault in the control circuit (i.e. in the machine wiring), the interlocking can still be provided with the aid of the second channel.

Design Type 1 with integrated actuator
Features an integrated actuator to protect personnel and equipment by monitoring the position of movable components. Actuator movement opens positively driven safety contacts. Reinforced thermoplastic (NM Design Type 1) and die cast aluminum (NZ Design Type 1) versions available.

Due to the small dimensions the NM type safety switches are perfect for cramped installation space. The simple changeover of the approach direction and up to 3 cable inserts provides a considerable amount of flexibility during installation.

Perfect for food, robot, packaging, plastics, material handling, paper, assembly, printing, textile and compactor applications.      

Marshall Wolf Automation is your authorized industrial automation distributor source for Safety Switches.

Contact us today at 847-658-8130 or on the web at www.wolfautomation.com

An electromechanical switch designed with normally-closed (NC) electrical contacts which, upon switch actuation is forced to open by a non-resilient mechanical drive mechanism (whew!) is the definition of a "positive-break" safety interlock.  Spring actuators are not considered positive-break mechanisms.

The actuator key is typically mounted to a movable guard such as an access door, protective grating, equipment hood or safety cover.  When the guard is closed, the actuator mates with the electromechanical switching mechanism.  Upon opening of the movable guard, the actuator key mechanically rotates a cam mechanism - forcing the NC electrical contacts to open the safety circuit.

For machine applications with residual motion after shut-down, key actuated interlocks are available with a solenoid latch, which in conjunction with a time-delay, motion detector or other machinery status monitor can delay access to hazardous areas until the danger has been cleared and a safe condition exists.

Schmersal offers many safety interlock switches for you to choose from.  They are dedicated to understanding man-machine safety hazards.  Marshall Wolf Automation, your industrial automation distributor is the place to go for great pricing, friendly service and new extended hours to serve you  better!   We are now open from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm central standard time. 

There are many brands of safety interlock switches on the market, so why should you use Schmersal?  While Schmersal is not the only manufacturer of these types of devices, there are many reasons why you should buy these:

• All Schmersal safety interlocks have been third-party tested and certified to meet relevant directives and all are CE-compliant
• Each can be provided with a Declaration of Conformity
• They have been designed epxressly for safety applications to meet the requirements of ANSI, OSHA and the European Machinery Directive
• They have been proven effective in thousands of installations worldwide

Schmersal's safety controllers are easily integrated with their more than 200 "positive-break" interlock switches and coded-magnet sensors to achieve any desired safety level, and they are also compatible with other manufacturers' safety-approved components!  The microprocesser-based Series AES safety controllers feature integrated systems diagnostics which, using a visual colored LED display pattern, help identify the type of system fault that has occurred and its location (to minimize downtime).

Marshall Wolf Automation is the place to go for all of your machine safety devices.  We have technical support on staff to help with your application questions and we have many different manufacturers to make sure we can meet your machine safety needs.

Contact us today at 800-325-WOLF (9653) and let us help you!

You might be one of our customers that use a few IDEC part numbers and do not realize how large the IDEC line of products is.

This blog is going to focus on showing you how complete this line is by focusing on just one product group - switches.

The term 'switches' can mean different things to different people - you might think of pushbuttons, LED pilot lights or limit switches.

Did you know that IDEC's switch line includes all of the following:

• Enabling switches - 
• Indicator lights and LED pilot lights
• Safety switches including emergency e-stops and safety interlocks
• Selector switches and key selector switches
• A complete offering of pushbutton switches

Marshall Wolf Automation is a long term stocking IDEC distributor and can offer you deep discounting, knowledgeable and friendly customer service as well as an easy ordering process.

Search all of our IDEC products now!

There are so many great features offered in the Schmersal SLC/SLG 440 series that there is an ELEVEN page sales brochure on it!

I will do my best to simplify them here. Here are the one design features:

• User friendly - no controller required and no programming software
• Compact 28mm x 33mm housing
• Rapid response time
• Meets all the latest international safety standards

Multiple solutions include:

• Multifunctional - fixed and floating blanking, finger, hand and body protection
• Unique features - blanking with movable edge, double reset
• Maximum strength - seamless one piece construction
• Minimize downtime - visual diagnostics, 7 segment message display

These series are ideal for hazardous locations. The Schmersal SLC 440 can be used for hazardous point protection and safely detecting fingers, hands or limbs. The Schmersal SLG 440 can be used to protect areas and accesses in hazardous areas.

Marshall Wolf Automation is your Schmersal distributor for their complete line of safety limit switches, safety light curtains and safety interlock switches.

Take a look at the new Schmersal SLC440 brochure now!

Okay, I can't resist . . . if you need the force to be with you, you need to be in contact with Marshall Wolf Automation!  That's where to find the best prices on Idec's force guided relays, the RF1V series!

Idec RF1V Series force guided relay have mechanically linked contacts allowing you to use in safety related circuits.  Available in four or six pole models, all relays have 6A form-A contacts. RF1V can be mounted directly on printed circuit board or can use DIN RAIL or PCB mount socket.

Idec RF1V series is UL recognized, TUV rated and CE marked.  The contacts of a force guided relay are forced to open and close by a guide connected to the armature.  Force guided relays are relays used in safety circuits to detect failures such as contact welding and damage to the contact spring.

Force guided relays are used in safety circuits in combination with interlock switches, light curtains and emergency stop switches to control outputs. What a coincidence! We also carry all of these products...

Due to requirements of standard EN50205, a force guided relay has independent NO and NC contacts. If a NO contact welds, a NC contact will not close even when the relay coil is turned off (de-energized) and must maintain a gap of at least 0.5 mm. Furthermore, if a NC contact welds, a NO contact will not close when the relay is turned on (energized) and must maintain a gap of at least 0.5 mm. 

Call us today at 800-325-9653 for all of your relay needs!