4 Ways OEMs Can Maximize Joystick Capabilities

The biggest challenge for OEMs when designing an operator’s primary set of controls, is the battle between the actual quantity of component and the solution’s practicality. You want to put every machine function at an operator’s fingertips, but risk sacrificing ergonomics and your bottom line if you don’t consider both the design process and how it will incorporate into the actual machine operation. Below are four important things for OEMs to consider in order to maximize control when designing a custom joystick.

Custom Adaptors for Standard Joysticks.

Beyond ergonomics, the biggest technical joystick design constraint is the internal volume of the grip itself. OEM have a wide range of grip options, and each come with different shapes and size factors. Looking at two very different options, the MG10 from OEM Controls is typically very easy to machine into and offers a lot of space for wiring behind its front face plate, while the MG23 has a much smaller faceplate. You need to consider the depth of each electrical accessory wiring that you want to put into a joystick grip and determine the feasibility of your desired control layout. If there is a certain grip that you really want to use but have issues with the space constraints, one option is to utilize a custom adaptor to offer more depth, although this can add a significant cost to your joystick.

Swapping Pushbuttons for Selector Switches.

The simplicity of pushbuttons is always appealing, but when there get to be too many, you lose significant real estate on a joystick’s faceplate and wiring space inside the actual grip that could be used for something else. Consolidating a group of pushbuttons into a single selector or trim switch, such as the TS Series Thumb stick Control, allows that space, and the additional inputs to be used for other controls.

Make the Most of Every Available Input.

A joystick’s programming is constrained by its circuit board and the number of available inputs. Not only do individual switches and control take up inputs, but so will certain electrical features. For example, if you want a button’s LED backlighting to turn on when it’s actuated, that requires an additional input. You can utilize the second grounding wire in a joystick handle to add a spare input, but input limitations is something to consider when adding individual components to your joystick.

Extending Lower Usage Controls Onto a Arm Pod or Complete Armrest Assembly.

If there is no way to align your joystick handle’s capacity with the number of easily accessible controls for the operator, the best option may be to integrate it into either an extended arm pod or a full armrest assembly. This significantly increases the number and types of additional controls you can use, while still maintaining optimal ergonomics and can be designed to fit within your cab’s overall space constraints. Working with a valued partner who can determine which functions have the highest usage and a control layout that supports both ease of use and maximum visibility of the application area, is truly the best way to simultaneously increase operator productivity and overall experience.