If you are looking for a good home automation controller, you should definitely take a look at the Snap Action Micro Switch. This is one of the newer systems on the market that uses remote control technology to allow for very simple controls. Many traditional switches use a spring loaded contact that requires a strong pull or pushing action to engage and disengage it. The Micro Switch does away with these parts, instead relying on a simple push button switch that is pressed in order to engage and disengage the actuators.
One advantage of micro switches is that they are able to incorporate some form of motion into the mechanism itself. Most Snap Action Micro Switch use a mechanical actuating mechanism, which means that force is used to make the switch move. Whether this is mechanical force generated by the button itself, or from the weight and balance of the contacts, or from any other method, is really not important. What’s more important than the actual mechanisms used however, is the way that the switch can be easily understood and controlled.
The way that a snap action micro switch works is that it consists of two sets of contacts. On the majority of these types of switches however, the contacts are constructed in such a way that their insides are completely sealed off. With the seal between the contacts in place, the entire system works without any leaks or gaps whatsoever. This means that you will be completely protected from any sort of contact damage, which can often be a problem with other types of switches. In addition to being totally sealed off, most micro switches use a spring that provides a very firm and consistent force against the contacts.
A key benefit to these types of switches is that they are extremely reliable. What this means is that unlike some other types of switches, you will not have to worry about a momentary drop in the force effectiveness of your actuators. The reason for this is that the entire system is designed with constant force efficiency in mind. When a user pushes down on a part of the actuator, for example, there is a certain amount of kinetic energy that is released, and the micro switch contacts that are used in the system are designed to absorb the energy and store it efficiently.
What makes these switches so useful is that they don’t require you to worry about lubrication. In a way, the absence of lubricant allows for a much quieter operation than some other types of switch available. Because the micro switch is designed to release a steady, but strong force against the contacts, they can last for years at a time. As such, if you were to go buy a normal spring powered actuator, it would be a little bit of a shock when the springs inside of it started to lose their effectiveness over time. Not only that, but you would need to change the springs regularly as well, making it something that is far from cost efficient in the long run.
One of the benefits that comes with using micro switches is the fact that they have no moving parts whatsoever. The lack of parts allows for greater reliability than some other types of switch, and as such should last twice as long as you would expect. This reliability is one of the main reasons that so many users choose them over regular actuators. There are a few disadvantages to them, however, such as the fact that they need to be kept clean and lubricated, but even without this requirement, hysteresis remains one of the best benefits of these types of switches.
Yinka Shonibare 