Electro-mechanical controls: still common in modern cockpits and military dashboards
Have you ever considered concentric shafts options for your next panel design?
Despite the ever increasing digitalization and use of multi-function displays, discrete electro-mechanical controls are still commonly used in modern aircraft cockpits or in military vehicle dashboards. At the same time, complexity is growing and more functions are required, without compromising on the available space.
Combining different rotary controls in a single component or combining a linear control with a rotary control is a solution for this trend:
- Independent rotary switches can be combined in a single multi-deck component. The same can be done with rotary encoders and rotary potentiometers;
- Rotary switches can be combined with rotary encoders or rotary potentiometers;
- Linear, dual poles, push-to-actuate micro-switch functions can be added.
In this way:
- Savings in panels real estate use can be achieved;
- The resulting component is lighter than the separate components;
- The panel design is more efficient and its assembly process is simpler.
Here’s some examples:
- Channels frequency selection switches in radios;
- Menus scroll-and-select encoders and dimming potentiometers in small displays;
- Heading / bank angle controls in aircraft’s;
- And so on!
Our partner Cole Instruments, specialist in military-grade compact rotary switches, rotary encoders and rotary potentiometers, has the ability to design and manufacture such combinations in concentric shafts components, where each shaft controls an independent function. Up to 3 independent shafts are possible.
Have you ever considered concentric shafts options for your next panel design?
Please bring your need to us: together with our partner Cole Instrument, we will be happy to review it and to provide solutions.
And together with our specialized partners, we also will be able to support you in the choice of control knobs suitable to use on concentric shafts rotary components.