Touch Buttons are safety rated and ergonomically designed.
Press Release Summary:
Series B, 800Z Zero-Force(TM) Touch Buttons provide Category 3 Type IIIB and Category 4 Type IIIC safety ratings for 2-hand control applications. Inter-linked sensor surface weaves 2 capacitive sensors in offset planes for product sensitivity, while fault detection alerts operator to potentially dangerous conditions. Noise immunity is achieved by utilizing pattern-recognition and noise-sensing algorithms. Contoured package surface allows neutral hand and multiple finger interface.
Original Press Release:
Rockwell Automation Announces Performance Enhancements to Its Allen-Bradley® Zero-Force(TM) Touch Button Line
Allen-Bradley® 800Z Zero-Force(TM) Touch Button Series B line designed to improve control reliability, enhance operator safety
MILWAUKEE, Nov. 8, 2002- Complete Automation® leader Rockwell Automation has announced several new performance enhancements to its general purpose and heavy industrial Allen-Bradley® 800Z Zero-Force(TM) Touch Button family. The 800Z Series B line includes new technology designed to increase operator safety and reliability while expanding product functionality to suit a wider range of applications.
"Our customers told us that not only were they concerned with ergonomics, but also with safety ratings and application specific performance," said Rachael Karisny, senior marketing engineer, Rockwell Automation. "So, we used cutting-edge technology to deliver a product that not only significantly improves performance, but also is the first in the industry to provide Category 3 Type IIIB and Category 4 Type IIIC safety ratings for two-hand control applications."
Key product enhancements include:
o An inter-linked sensor surface that weaves two capacitive sensors in offset planes providing significantly greater product sensitivity. This not only
increases control reliability but also allows users to operate the buttons wearing thick gloves, thereby widening the application possibilities for the products.
o A reliable fault detection feature alerts the operator of a potentially dangerous condition by shutting itself off first and then flashing an appropriate fault signal. For example: If conductive films deposit on the sensor surface over time, the red Fault LED will flash 4 times, pause, and then repeat the flashing sequence until the fault is cleared.
o Improved noise immunity is achieved by using a combination of pattern-recognition and noise-sensing algorithms to distinguish between a true input stimulus and disruptive noise. This feature helps ensure the product will not unintentionally operate.
All of these features are delivered in the same ergonomically designed package to help alleviate the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and other nerve disorders common to repetitive operator interfaces. The 800Z Series B line provides a contoured package surface to allow a true "neutral" hand and multiple finger interface while, at the same time, delivering improved control reliability and enhanced operator safety.
Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) is a world-leading provider of industrial automation power, control and information solutions that help customers meet their manufacturing productivity objectives. The company brings together leading brands in industrial automation for Complete Automation® solutions, including Allen-Bradley® controls and engineered services and Rockwell Software® factory management software, Dodge® mechanical power transmission products, and Reliance Electric® motors and drives. The company also is a leading provider of contact management technologies and applications that help companies more efficiently manage interaction with their own customers. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., USA, the company employs approximately 23,000 people at more than 450 locations serving customers in more than 80 countries.
For more information on 800Z Zero-Force Touch Buttons, please contact the Rockwell Automation Response Center, 10701 Hampshire Avenue South, Bloomington, Minn., 55438, 800.223.5354, Ext. 1569.
