Push Buttons and Switches, April 2005 Product Research

Research was undertaken to gain a better understanding of Control Engineering subscribers’applications and needs regarding pushbuttons or switches.

Executive Summary

Pushbuttons & Switches Product Research

Executive Summary

• Among those who specify, recommend, or buy pushbuttons or switches, 72% do so for in-plant requirements, while 58% do this for OEM needs.

• Nearly two-thirds of respondents need dusttight and/or watertight pushbuttons and switches.

• 22 mm devices are the most widely used size.

• Thirty-nine percent of those responding most commonly use 120 Volt, 5 Amp as their power requirement for pushbuttons or switches; making this the most widely used power requirement.

• Over 80% of respondents say quality is a very important factor when deciding on a particular pushbutton or switch. Availability and ease of installation round out the three most important factors. More than one-quarter of respondents feel networked pushbuttons or switches will be a very important attribute in the next three years. Intelligent pushbuttons or switches come in second with 21% of respondents anticipating it will be very important. The ease of doing business with a supplier, as well as a manufacturer’s reputation, are the most important factors for control engineers when deciding on a supplier of pushbuttons or switches.

• Two-thirds of those responding have already replaced pushbuttons or switches with touch panels or other operator interface panels. Another 9% plan to do so in the next 12 months.

• Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed bought pushbuttons and switches from Rockwell/Allen-Bradley. Cutler-Hammer, Schneider Electric/Square D, and Honeywell’s Micro Switch round out the four most popular manufacturers. 2,643 was the average number of pushbuttons and switches purchased by each respondent in the past 12 months. This equated to average spending of $111,667 per respondent. Survey results suggest purchases of pushbuttons and switches will grow over the next year.

• Sixty-seven percent of Control Engineering subscribers responding do not receive any of the publications under evaluation (see page 16).

Pushbuttons & Switches Product Research 2005

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