Speed Switch Tutorial

What is a Shaft Speed Switch and where is it used?

A Shaft Speed Switch is a device that monitors rotating shafts that are critical to the proper operation of many types of machinery. It can be used to alarm an operator of any undesirable or critical speed condition of the monitored shaft such as rotating too fast, too slowly, or a combination of these.

Undesirable speed changes usually indicate that damage can (or will) occur to machinery as a result of failing mechanics or process problems. A Shaft Speed Switch signals a critical condition or speed via a relay output that typically sounds an alarm, triggers an alarm indicator light, and/or shuts down the machine before damage occurs.

Other common uses for Shaft Speed Switch relay outputs are to trigger a secondary process to start or stop when the shaft reaches a certain speed, speed to analog conversion, position monitoring, or rate metering. A number of process monitoring and control enhancements are facilitated by the reliable performance of Shaft Speed Switches.

What are the benefits of using Shaft Speed Switches?

Shaft Speed Switches provide many valuable direct and indirect benefits to any application in which they are applied. First and foremost, using Speed Switches allows equipment to have a longer life with less downtime because maintenance can be performed proactively and ahead of unexpected failures that can cause damage. This will greatly reduce your downtime, maintenance cost, and lower your material waste cost. And operational life is maximized without the risk of unexpected failures.

In addition, Shaft Speed Switches can give you better control and accuracy of your process by keeping your machine speeds within their acceptable tolerances. finally, by enabling machine monitoring, Shaft Speed Switches will allow you to focus on more important things in your operation.

As a result, your operation will be more productive and efficient, and your process will deliver greater consistency—both major goals for any industrial facility. The benefits of using a Shaft Speed Switch heavily outweigh the cost and provide immediate return on investment.

A Shaft Speed Switch delivers these benefits: