This section provides an overview for position switches as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 33 position switch manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked position switch companies as of September, 2023: 1.Ruskin Company, 2.Win Source Electronic Technology Ltd..
Table of Contents
A position switch is a contact-type sensor used to precisely place an object in a specific position.
They are also called touch switches or high-precision switches. It operates when the sensing object pushes the movable pin at the end of the positioning switch to a certain line. Position switches are characterized by their ability to detect position with extremely high accuracy. This enables accurate position control and position detection.
They are also advantageous for accurate position control and position detection because they can detect positions with very high accuracy. However, position switches must be installed correctly for accurate position detection. If installed in the wrong position or angle, accurate detection is often not possible.
Although their applications and mechanisms are similar to those of microswitches and limit switches, durability and accuracy are the differences. Position switches are highly accurate, with precision types capable of detecting in the micron range, and some products can withstand up to 3 million cycles.
Position switches are used in a variety of applications. The following are examples of applications for position switches.
Used for accurate position detection and control of parts and products in assembly and production lines. In machining, they are often used to detect the position of tools for accurate cutting and machining.
Position switches are also used to control the position of a robot arm. This allows the robot to work with the arm in the exact position.
In medical equipment, they are used to detect specific positions or position changes. In diagnostic imaging equipment, position switches are often used to detect the imaging position or patient position. Position switches are also incorporated in surgical support robots to accurately detect the position of surgical instruments and tools to assist in surgery.
Positioning switches are used in printing presses to accurately control the position and feed of paper. Position switches are often incorporated into the paper feed system of a printing press. This enables accurate detection of the paper position and proper control of the print head and ink supply equipment.
Position switches are switches that detect position based on physical contact. They are mainly composed of an actuator, a contact point, and a spring.
The actuator is the component that is pushed by an external force or pressure. It is the operating part of the switch and changes the state of the switch when it is physically pushed from the outside. It is the component that determines the operability and contact range of the switch.
Contacts are the components that open and close the electrical circuit inside the switch. The movement of the actuator causes the contacts to open and close, switching the ON/OFF state of the switch. Generally, they are made of valuable metals such as silver and gold.
The spring is a component that serves to return the switch to its original state when the actuator is released. It controls the response speed and sensitivity of the switch.
There are many factors to consider when selecting a position switch. The following are examples of important factors related to selection
The actuator is the part that operates the switch and affects its operability. The type of actuator to be selected should be carefully considered according to the operating environment and application. Select from pin plungers, top plungers, bevel plungers, etc.
Position switches may be supplied with an operation indicator light that visually indicates the switch status. This makes it possible to easily check the switch status. Depending on the application and environment, the presence or absence of an indicator light and the clarity of the indication may be important factors.
The repeatability of a position switch is an important factor in its repeatability in the same position. The ability of a switch to detect exactly the same position is critical in a given application. It is important to check the specifications of the switch, as they vary with manufacturing accuracy and design.
Position switches may require a certain amount of force to operate. This force is the force applied to operate the actuator. Based on the force that the application has, a position switch with appropriate requirements should be selected.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Sensata Technologies was originally founded in 1916 as General Plate Company and is now headquartered in Attleboro, Massachusetts. The company is a developer, manufacturer, and seller of sensors and sensor-rich solutions, electrical protection components, and other products used in automotive, industrial, energy, telecom, and construction industries. The company has 20 product categories including force sensors, tire management solutions, inverters & charges, and pressure sensors.The company’s next generation of products are designed to improve the efficiency of industrial pumps, fuel efficiency in ICE cars and energy efficiency in TVs, and facilitate usage of IoT devices.
Thermwood is based in Dale, Indiana, and operates as a multinational diversified CNC machinery manufacturer that markets its products and services globally through offices in 11 countries. The company primarily serves the woodworking, aerospace, plastics, and composites industries but also serves almost every major industry from medicine to entertainment. The company’s products include both hardware and software. Hardware includes 3-axis and 5-axis CNC routers and LSAM machines. Software offerings include Mastercam, Moldplus, and THM Desktop among others.
Swagelok Company was founded in 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio as a tube fitting manufacturer. The company serves numerous industries including the chemical, clean energy, food & beverage, industrial machinery, life sciences, and wastewater treatment industries. The copmany's product categories include hoses and flexible tubing, sample cylinders, welding systems, tubing and accessories, and measurement devices. The company's also offers engineering services including field engineering, onsite services, design and assembly services, training, and construction services.
Machine Components Corp. (MCC) is an American manufacturer of standard as well as custom machine components established in Plainview, New York in 1961. The company produces various machine components with different functions and applications in industrial manufacturing or processing facilities. These include mechanical and slip clutches, toggle and joystick switches, friction hinges, and solenoid-operated clutch brakes. MCC products are utilized by clients in the aerospace, telecommunication, security, and military industries, as well as by manufacturers and OEMs in the commercial sector.
PLC Hardware (PLCH) was founded in 1993 and operates out of Owings Mills, Maryland. PLCH is an independent distributor of used and surplus industrial automation and networking equipment. PLCH offers a 1-year warranty on all products and ships globally. PLCH’s emphasis is on hardware and distributes hardware from such brands as Cisco, HP Networking, Rockwell Automation and Siemens. A few of the many categories of hardware include application networking products, cables, optical networking systems, routers, switches, rack servers, content delivery devices, as well as HVAC controllers, and safety integrated systems.
Nidec Corporation traces its roots all the way back to 1908. The company has established itself as an international conglomerate that handles virtually everything that spins and moves. Through its over 300 subsidiaries across the globe, the company manufactures motors that run the spectrum from tiny precision motors in cell phones to motors powering heavy commercial and industrial equipment. The company and its subsidiary's power devices and machines are used in many industrial and personal sectors including agriculture, exercise equipment, HVAC, and refrigeration. Products and services include many varieties of motors, drives, and generators.
Dietz Electric was founded in 1974 and is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dietz Electric is a broad-line stocking distributor offering electric motors, drives, and power transmission products. Dietz Electric also offers customization options to test, manufacture, modify, and repair all product offerings. Product offerings include electric motors, hazardous locations motors, custom electric motors, variable frequency drives, motor controls, power transmission solutions, and specialty items such as purge systems, Uras vibrators, disc brakes, transformers, and AC line reactors.
Baco Controls is the marketing arm of BACO, originally founded in 1919. Baco Controls was founded in 1980 and is currently located in Central New York. The company is a middle distributor of industrial control and signaling devices, generally selling to consumers and industries through other distributors. The company’s featured product categories include 22 mm and 30 mm Control and Signaling devices, Disconnect Switches, and Cam Switches. The company offers assistance in custom control stations tailored to customers’ specific needs.
Twittlebit.com is located in Lexington, Kentucky. Twittlebit is a distributor of industrial equipment and components divided into 8 sub-stores including: sensors, HMI & PLC, visual & audio , panel components, and pneumatic & vacuum. The company offers next day delivery to Kentucky and neighboring states, and 2-to-3-day delivery to most other states of in-stock products. The company offers in-stock selection of many top brands such as Autonics, EEControls, Panasonic, and Cembre. The company can also in-source many hard to find products directly from Japan from companies such as IDEC, Canon, Omron, and Fuji Electric in 7-to-10-days.
Ohio Pipe, Valves, & Fittings, Inc. was founded in 1929 as Ohio Pipe Bending & Coiling Company. Also known as the Ohio Pipe companies, they specialize in fully welded, seamless, stainless steel, and PVC pipes of many sizes. Ohio Pipe companies also sell flanges, couplings, ball, butterfly, gate, control, and relief valves, with thousands of unique items in stock. Ohio Pipe companies’ past and current customers include power plants, steel mills, oil and gas companies, chemical plants, water and wastewater facilities, as well as many OEMs.
E-Motion Inc. is a distributor for electric automation based in Eugene, Orgeon. The company is a distributor of many electric automation parts, with additional offerings in pneumatic, modular aluminum framing, and instrumentation products. The company’s two primary segments are electric actuators and pneumatic automation. The electric actuator segment includes rack and pinion linear actuators, rod type electric actuators, rodless actuators, actuator controls, and lift kits. The pneumatic automation segment includes standard air cylinders, rodless cylinders, guided cylinders, and rotary actuators.
Bailey Motor Equipment Co. was established in 1933 and located in Orlando, Florida. Bailey Motor Equipment Co. serves the agriculture, industrial, oil and gas, automotive, and marine trades to customers globally. Bailey Motor Equipment Co.’s offerings include PIC liquid filled gauges, pressure and vacuum gauges, switches, float switches, relays, temperature gauges, fluid level switch gauges, electric gauges, battery chargers, as well as additional products including remote communication components, remote communication packages, voltmeters, and fuel tank lines.
Eaton Corporation plc was founded in 1911 and is based in Dublin, Ireland. Eaton operates as a global power management company, providing electrical components, industrial components, power distribution and assemblies as well as industrial applications. The company’s vehicles segment also offers transmissions, hybrid power systems, and fuel vapor components for the vehicle industry. The company’s eMobility segment offerings include voltage inverters, power distribution systems, and commercial vehicle hybrid systems. The company also provides engineering and repair services.
EAO was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Olten, Switzerland, with manufacturing, sales, and distribution companies around the globe. The company serves core markets of transportation, automotive, heavy-duty & special vehicles, and machinery as a manufacturer of switches, keyboards, control elements, and human-machine interface systems. The company has three product divisions: HMI Components, HMI Systems, and EAO Automotive. Together, they include emergency stop switches, passenger convenience devices in transportation, and other switches for human-machine interfaces across industries.
MOD-TRONIC Instruments Limited was established in 1972 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. MTis a distributor of industrial sensors, transducers, heaters, controls, and instrumentation, primarily made in the USA as well as Japan, Switzerland, and Germany. MT’s customers are primarily in the aerospace, building automation, manufacturing, medical, military, oil and gas, and water treatment industries but also serves individuals. MT offers an above industry standard 5-year warranty and technical support on every product sold.
WIN SOURCE is a customer-focused online store serving a wide variety of markets industries ranging from consumer to automotive to medical, industrial, and aerospace. WS specializes on size and speed, offering a catalog of over 1 million SKUS that can be shipped within 24 hours around the world. Offerings include an extensive array of semiconductor components, audio products, cable assemblies, racks, and battery products. WIN SOURCE is AS9120B, ISO9001, ISO14001, and ISO45001 certified and is a member of the anti-counterfeiting organization, ERAI.
Jamieson Equipment Company (JEC) was founded in 1982 and located in the state of Georgia. JEC serves infrastructure-related industries including pavement with concrete, aggregate, and asphalt, chemicals, sewage and waste management, and agriculture and food. JEC sells, installs, retrofits, repairs, and offers training and troubleshooting for a range of components and tools from simple fittings to motion sensors to electronics to valves to actuators, cranes, mixers, silos, hoppers, and plants.
IPD Group Limited, established in 2005 and headquartered in Wetherill Park, Australia, is a manufacturer and distributor of electrical & electronic products and accessories. The company's core products are categorised into power distribution and protection like various circuit breakers and switches, energy meters for energy management, automation and motor control systems, industrial cyber security & communications and electric vehicle charging solutions such as EV & PV solutions. The company offers custom designed solutions with installation services and a library of resources like CAD blocks, white papers and case studies for technical information & tools.
Schmersal UK, founded in Malvern, UK, in 1945 is a manufacturer of switchgear for the protection of machines and plants in the industrial automation and lift industry. The company's product portfolio includes low voltage switchgear solutions for efficient power distribution, high voltage switchgear solutions for critical power applications, including renewable energy installations and substations, Control Panels and Switchgear Accessories. The company serves industries such as Oil and Gas, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Construction, and Power Generation.
Euchner was established in 1953 as a manufacturer of industrial safety products and is based in Germany. The products designed and manufactured by the company are used by industries that want to minimize risks and hazards. One example of their equipment is a Transponder with Coded Key Systems EKS and CKS which is used for controlling machine functions, storing process parameters, maintaining different access rights, and much more and it helps with procedures like automatic logging on and off for safe and controlled access. There are also safety switches, relays, identification systems, emergency stop devices, and similar items.
BERNSTEIN AG is a manufacturer and distributor of electromechanical components that was established in 1947 in Germany. The company manufactures switches and sensors that range from insulated and metal enclosed to foot switches and safety switchgear. They also provide enclosure technology that deals with the implementation of support systems for various applications such as using housing to accommodate electrical, electronic, or pneumatic components and load-bearing systems made of aluminum and stainless steel. They also offer safety solutions related to the operation of lifts and escalators that are placed in malls and airports
Magnetek Drives is a manufacturer and developer of digital power & motion control systems for material handling, people-moving, and mining applications in aerospace, automotive, construction, and metals production industries. The company is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. The company’s chief distributor for sales in the United States is Sievert Crane & Hoist. In cooperation, the two offer complete crane and hoist packages with custom manufacturing, installation, inspection, training, and service & repair.
Hello BOM is an online electronic component storefront designed to bridge customers and suppliers. Customers supply Hello BOM with their bill of materials (BOM) and Hello BOM uses smart analysis via AI data matching to quickly find precise matches that customers need. This is accomplished via Hello BOM’s growing component stock and product information database to grow increasingly accurate and fast, while also simplifying the process of R&D and purchasing for customers. Products include semiconductors, resistors, capacitors, diodes, inductors, connectors, transistors, and sensors.
AutomationDirect.com was founded in 1994 to provide solutions for the industrial automation market and has been growing its list of offerings ever since. AutomationDirects’ extensive catalog includes individual components such as cables, various controls, I/O devices, relays, gauges, fittings, and sensors to complete systems. Many parts and devices, especially PLC units are customizable. AutomationDirect.com also provides support via video instructions, online manuals, a learning library, an active community forum to further assist customers.
AMF Industries Inc., a manufacturer and supplier based in Labrador City, Canada, was established in 1999 and is recognized for delivering top-notch technical and non-technical goods and services. The company offers various products, including Control Valves, Automated On/Off and manual valves, Field instrumentation for temperature, flow, pressure and level measurement, and Analytical Products like CEMS and analyzers for liquids, gases and humidity. The company offers Complete Integrated Solutions through a dedicated team of Technical Personnel, catering to shutdowns, interim replacements, and the repair of precision instrumentation and automation products.
Ranking as of September 2023 in United States of America
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Ruskin Company |
50.0%
|
2 | Win Source Electronic Technology Ltd. |
50.0%
|
Ranking as of September 2023 Globally
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Ruskin Company |
6.5%
|
2 | Win Source Electronic Technology Ltd. |
6.5%
|
3 | IPD Group Limited |
3.2%
|
4 | Pizzato Elettrica S.r.l. |
3.2%
|
5 | Klinger & Born GmbH |
3.2%
|
6 | Steute Industrial Controls, Inc. |
3.2%
|
7 | Bailey Motor Equipment Co. |
3.2%
|
8 | Jamieson Equipment Co., Inc. |
3.2%
|
9 | Magnetek Drives |
3.2%
|
10 | Thermwood Corp. |
3.2%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the position switch page as of September 2023. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History