Sensors For Forestry Equipment
For engineers designing systems on Turf and Forestry Equipment, complex and critical safety and control systems often require the waterproof durability of an American made, CPI Waterproof Limit Switch.
Manufacturers like John Deere, Vermeer, Dougherty, Morebark, Hagie and Lippel have all seen fit to design in a variety of CPI Limit Switches for placement in the harsh duty environment that most of these machines will operate in. Often our switches are called in to replace offshore look-alike switches after noticing significant in-warranty field failures. Others prefer the confidence that comes with a USA made switch from a company that has specialized exclusively in the design and manufacture of high durability thermal and waterproof switches for over 75 years. When you talk to our engineers, you’ll understand that all switches are not created equal.
CPI waterproof switches solve many challenges for outdoor turf equipment. The machines may be different, but the problems are similar.
- Operator Presence Detection
- Mower Deck Up/Down
- Neutral Safety Detection
- Hopper Up/Down
- Manual Horn Control
- Manual Lift or Rotor Control
- Sprayer arms deployed and locked
- Outriggers deployed and locked.
- Hand actuated Alarms and Lights
And the types of machines these switches are deployed on gets longer every day.
- Backhoe Loaders
- Ride-On Turf equipment like mowers and plows
- Dump Trucks for Dump Body Detection
- Skid Steer Loaders
- Mulchers and Grinders
- Logging Skidders
- Mini-Excavators
- Wood Chippers
These are the kinds of working vehicles that require robust, small form factor, waterproof switches designed to specific mechanical tolerances.
A Day in the Life of A CPI Switch on a Wood Chipper
A great example of our waterproof, high endurance switches in action is our E1 simulated roller mount switch, adopted for a brush chipper manufactured by Vermeer, one of the worlds largest makers of forestry and agricultural equipment. Vermeer engineers were frustrated by field failures of their directional indicator switch caused by water, and the general lack of real world robustness of the previous switch solution.
CPI engineers created a form-fit-function replacement based on our E1 simulated roller design. A right and left version of the switch was created and the basic sealed momentary switch was sealed in santoprene insuring the highest immunity to dirt, sand, rain, vibration, and heat.
Cam Position Detection Application
In another application, the Brazilian company Lippel chose a similar switch for cam activated position sensing in their wood chipper application, for similar reasons of robustness. In the Lippel solution, three switches are used to detect the changing position of the cam, in this failsafe application. These switches are produced with custom lead lengths that are sealed at the switch end, making for easier assembly in production environments.
Made in USA Continues to be Important
It’s worth mentioning that CPI has received the recognition of Vermeer’s outside supplier award thanks to a job well-done for quality and on-time delivery. In addition, we continue to innovate to bring them the most cost-effective reliable limit switch solutions. Recently we’ve updated our design from a roller lever to simulated roller design, which not only lowered product cost, but is expected to substantially reduce warranty claims.
In production quantities, our pricing is on par with cheap, underdesigned offshore alternatives. But our switches won’t let you down in the field.
Call CPI today for more information on how we can help you with your application.