Making of an Armrest: Switch Panel Design and Integration

“We manufacture our own line of switches, and all of our switch panels use a CAN-based interface. This allows us to minimize wiring while still creating a complex solution that integrates well into the rest of the design.”

As the main control station for heavy machinery operators, efficiency, innovation, and ergonomics must be top priority when designing armrests and consoles. The process of designing a custom armrest or arm pod, or redesigning an existing solution, is a very complex process. From plastics and ergonomics to custom electronic integration, we have the experience and knowledge base to get you a solution that’s unique to your machine needs.

In this series, we look at all of the factors that go into designing a custom armrest or console for heavy equipment with different experts from our engineering team. Last month, we looked at different approaches to molding and plastics and their benefits. In this next video, one of our Control Systems Engineers discusses our approach to switch panel design and integrating them into complete armrest assemblies.

“We can do custom mounting plate designs, create custom circuit boards, and include custom graphics on switch panels. And buttons are applied behind the plate so we can create a completely sealed solution.”

We also look at switches and panels as one element of total machine control, and we optimize that by utilizing a CAN-based interface for all of our switch panels. That allows us to connect complex switch panels with only a few wires that can be programmed and easily managed through the machine’s IQAN control system.

Contact us today to find out how we can create a custom component that will bring your machine into the future.