Honeywell celebrates 75th anniversary of micro switch

September 19, 2007
Honeywell Process Solutions
News

Summary

MINNEAPOLIS, September 19, 2007 – Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today begins celebrating the 75th anniversary of the micro switch, a technology innovation that has made a significant impact on our world and a wide array of products we use every day in our lives.“This is a very special milestone for our industry, as the micro switch is one of the major contributing factors improving industrial productivity,” said Beth Wozniak, president of Honeywell Sensing & Control. “The micro switch has paved the way for millions of products that would not have been possible without it. Honeywell’s tradition of innovation lives on through the micro switch and its many related technologies, helping to make our world a safer and more productive place to live.”The micro switch has provided generations of manufacturers and design engineers superior operating characteristics, long mechanical life and absolute dependability in closing and opening electrical circuits.Invented in 1932, the micro switch was one of the first components to supercharge the race to miniaturization and high performance in electronics. Prior to its debut, no switching mechanism had its strength, repeatability, reliability, high current capacity, small size or weight. While modern technology has improved some of the materials used in the micro switch, most of the initial design has remained unchanged, enabling the advancement and affordability of many of today’s modern machines and appliances.“We began using micro switch technology in the 1930s and Honeywell has gained our trust through decades of dependable service,” said Cheryl O’Connell, director of materials of United Electric Controls. “The superiority of the micro switch truly lies in its quality and reliability. With 80 percent of our mechanical products using the technology, we know we can depend upon the micro switch to exceed the performance requirements of our customers.”The first micro switch – known as the Large Basic – was used to control the temperature of chicken brooders. From those humble beginnings, the micro switch today has become the industry standard in electromechanical control, used in millions of products from smoke alarms and dishwashers to computer products and airplane landing gear.Micro switch reliability and quality is legendary. In 1972, a WWII Hurricane bomber was recovered from a Canadian swamp. While the aircraft had been submerged under water for 30 years, a Honeywell micro switch in the cockpit was still intact, sealed and functioning. In 1975, a Honeywell micro switch survived the 505 million mile journey to Mars aboard NASA’s Viking Mars Lander. The switch, used in the retractable surface sampler, helped scoop up Martian soil and deliver it safely back to the biological laboratory.Today, Honeywell manufactures more than 120 million micro switches annually for aerospace and defense, industrial, off-highway and medical applications. Honeywell’s portfolio of micro switch technologies includes subminiature switches, miniature switches, limits and enclosed basic switches, toggle switches, rocker switches, among others.Honeywell International is a $34 billion diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York, London and Chicago Stock Exchanges. It is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is also a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. Learn More

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