Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Choose a Stainless-Steel Safety Switch Instead of Plastic
We have been busy saying 'Why have plastic, when you can have stainless-steel safety switches'. It's a simple message, but what exactly are the benefits to you as an engineer or machine builder? To help, we have a rundown of the Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Choose IDEM Stainless-Steel Safety Switches Instead of Plastic.
Without trying to sound too much like Alan Freeman (what do you mean, who?), let's rundown the Top 10 reasons why you should choose a strong, reliable IDEM Stainless-Steel Safety Switch instead of your usual brand of plastic switch.
1. Steel is a Stronger Material
Let's start with an easy one. Simply put, steel is stronger than plastic which reduces the likelihood of your switch breaking, especially around the fixing centres where plastic switches are known to suffer wear and tear.
2. Longer Life, Including Excessive Use
Because they are stronger, your Stainless-Steel Switches are going to last longer than plastic alternatives. This is especially important where your safety guards are going to be opened and closed a lot, or are large and likely to get bashed around a bit. Stainless-Steel Switches can withstand this kind of operation, whereas plastic versions are more likely to fail.
3. More Tolerant to High and Low Temperatures
This is a really important consideration. Extreme high and low temperatures will impact on the performance of your safety switch, especially by reducing it's life expectancy. IDEM Stainless-Steel Safety Switches have fantastic temperature resistance (typically -25° C to +105° C). The operating temperature of leading brand plastic alternatives may only be -10° C to +55° C.
4. Suitable for High Pressure Hosing with Chemicals
OK, this one is pretty simple. If you are using a safety switch in a wash-down environment which is cleaned using high-pressure hoses and/or harsh chemicals, you really need to be using stainless-steel safety switches. Plastic is not going to do the job!
5. Can be Used Outdoors and They Do Not Rust
So maybe you are thinking about using a competitors safety switch. It's going to be used outside, but probably not getting too wet and plastic doesn't rust anyway! But what about the inner workings of the switch? There can still be water ingress or condensation on the inside of the switch causing rust to build up and the unit will fail eventually. Internally and externally, IDEM Stainless-Steel Safety Switches are, erm... well stainless-steel. They will not rust or let you down!
6. Mirror Polished Versions Have Better Hygienic Qualities
IDEM developed mirror polished versions of their safety switches which have better hygienic qualities and less chance for bacteria to build up on the surface. Perfect for your CIP & SIP Food and Beverage applications.
7. Special Versions are Available for Direct Contact Zones in Food and Beverage Applications
If you have a Food and Beverage application that has direct contact zones, IDEM has developed even more stringent products to suit your requirements. You already know that plastic is not going to work, but IDEM has tested a number of metal alternatives from other manufacturers that are not suitable either. It's a specialised area, so get in touch if you need more information.
8. More Cost-effective
IDEM Stainless-Steel Safety Switches are very cost-effective, with a small increase in cost from their plastic alternatives but a significant cost saving compared to leading brand safety switches you may currently buy. They can save you money from the start, but in the long run they can offer significant savings.
9. Fewer Replacements and Reduced Maintenance
This is where you can really see the difference. A failure of even the smallest safety switch can lead to a full machine shutdown. The long-term reliability of IDEM Stainless-Steel Safety Switches means they need to be replaced less often, reducing unplanned downtime and improving your productivity.
10. Lower Cost and Better Quality than the Leading Competitors
IDEM know the safety switch market inside out. Their R&D Engineers look closely at the weaknesses in competitors products that can let you down and have eliminated these from IDEM alternatives. No corners have been cut. Stainless-Steel versions are stainless-steel inside and out, ensuring long term reliability for you - but still with lower costs and shorter lead times than leading competitors.
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