Weatherproof Switches, More Than Just Waterproof.

In the world of industrial grade weatherproof switches, you have to worry about more than just water mixing with your electrons.
Mac Stuhler, Vice President of Business Development for CPI, puts it this way. “We learned a long time ago that manufacturers were buying our switches because they are waterproof, but that they were going into applications that required many more dimensions of robustness to be viable solutions.”
Over a period of 70 years, CPI has provided switches that are not only truly waterproof, but that stand up to extreme environments better than almost any other switch in the world.  Here’s why that’s important.

What Really makes a Switch Weatherproof?

In a typical deployment for an industrial grade weatherproof switch, it is more than water folks are worried about.
  1. Weatherproof Switches by CPIVibration – In most deployments of our waterproof switches, whether it is on a mountain bike, or providing neutral safety in a transmission, high vibration is the norm. In your average switch, vibration can wear down and deform internal parts, loosens connections, and can dramatically cut short the number of cycles before actuation becomes unreliable. CPI switches are engineered and sealed in such a way as to be almost impervious to the most severe, high frequency vibration.
  2. Wind Blows Tiny Little Things – In some types of switches like ball switches or plunger switches the actuation can allow tiny windblown particulates like dust and sand, to sneak into the housing. Nothing brings a faster death to your switch operation except maybe a live explosive… This is why the CPI J4 Ball/Plunger switch has a patented double exclusion seal with such a tight tolerance that it actually removes particulates from the housing with each depression. One million cycles later, these switches are still typically, ticking.
  3. Temperature – Keeping your switch cool is important and CPI switches can run to 85C with the proper rubber housing. Even more impressive however is that they run cold without freezing up in conditions down to -40F.
  4. Pressure Tolerant – Sometimes its not just rain you worry about. Our waterproof switches are commonly deployed as safety switches on work trucks and emergency vehicles that get power washed regularly.
  5. Yes, Waterproof – Well yes, of course they need to be waterproof. Truly waterproof, i.e. submergible, not “splashproof” or “water resistant”.  Sealed in either neoprene or santoprene our E series pendant switches are completely waterproof. Even where the leads attach is sealed at the factory. We can provide leads of any length with any termination you require, even a waterproof one.
Weatherproof, waterproof, and just generally hard to kill. That’s all our CPI switches.

Give us a call today to discuss whether your application is tough enough for our switches.





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