What does a Footswitch do?

What does a Footswitch do?

Footswitches are used to operate machines or devices. Compressing a footswitch will often turn a device or machine off or on depending on the application and circumstance. They are a type of switch and are used to either make or break an electrical circuit.

Footswitches can be either momentary or latching. Momentary means that the footswitch must remain compressed to carry out its function, for example sewing machines will require continuous compression for the machine to remain switched on. Latching means that the footswitch can be pressed once, the user can then remove the pressure on the switch but the device or machine will remain on until the switch is compressed again. Often used for tattoo machines or lathes.

What does a Footswitch do? Application Examples:

Footswitches are used within many industries such as the medical industry, health and beauty, Industrial processes as well as common place applications. Within these industries footswitches can operate different devices, they are;

·         Sewing machines

·         Press iron machines

·         Lipo suction devices

·         Patient hoists

·         Medical equipment

·         Hair removal applications

·         Optical instruments

·         Dentist chair controls

·         Medical beds

·         Tattoo machines

·         Industrial machinery

·         Machinery controls

·         Stapling machines

·         Packaging machines

·         Cutting machines

·         Soldering machines

Benefits of using Footswitches

Footswitches are usually selected for use because:

·         They are space saving as they are on the floor and off the work desk.

·         Footswitches are more hygienic than hand controls as they are not passed from person to person.

·         They also offer hands free operation so the user can multitask.

If they are used in industrial processes some footswitches also come with a guard to provide some protection to the user and the switch during operation.

Footswitches from Herga Technology

Footswitches are our most popular product category here at Herga and we have lots of varieties to choose from which suit many different applications.  Take a look at ourFootswitch page on our website to see all of our products.

We also have a Footswitch selector tool to help you select the best footswitch for your application. Here you can select desired housing materials, market, sealing, temperature range, switching functionality, electrical connection requirements and approvals needed.

Our Footswitch Line Card also gives more information on the products we offer. Here you can compare features for each of our footswitches to help find the right product.