SCHURTER's latest hidden mounting capacitive switch

     Traditional switches require mounting holes in the user interface, but SCHURTER's new CHS product eliminates this. CHS stands for "capacitive hidden SWITCH" and can be mounted under surface insulation, so it is not visible.

     A capacitive switch is used to form an electric field on the user interface of the sensor. The SCHURTER CHS switch is designed with this technology so that the sensor is not directly triggered with a finger. Even when there is insulation (glass, plastic, wood, or similar) between the sensor and the finger, the electric field changes needed to trigger the switching process can still be generated.

     The new CHS products can be easily attached to a variety of insulating materials, so that control components can be installed in equipment with particularly high hygiene requirements, such as medical equipment, food industry equipment. Because the switch can be installed without drilling or grooving, and the switch itself has no moving parts, it is impossible for offending microbes to "colonize" the user interface. This means that the user interface can use materials that are particularly easy to clean.

     SCHURTER's CHS products are programmed not to trigger the switch when the electric field changes due to liquid or light wiping contact - this only happens when the surface of the switch is touched with precision. However, it can be adjusted according to the thickness of the material to which the switch is attached. The standard sensitivity applies to glass materials with thickness up to 2mm.

     Switches have always been a challenge for industrial designers. Installing switches in the user interface often "messes up" the look and structure, so invisible switches are highly desirable because they give people freedom of design without having to be less demanding in their designs.