What is a Pneumatic Switch?

What is a Pneumatic Switch?

A pneumatic switch is a type of switching device which uses air to function. When compressed, the pneumatic switch will send a sip or puff of air along a length of PVC tubing to an air switch. The movement of air will activate the airswitch which will make the electric circuit and activate a device.

Pneumatic switches are very popular and are part of our product portfolio. Because pneumatic switches are required throughout many applications and industries, they are available in different types – our pneumatic switch range includes;

• Footswitches
• Hand controls
• Bellows switches
• Push button switches  

Our full range of Pneumatic Switches can be viewed and easily compared on our Pneumatic Line Card.

What is a Pneumatic Switch Used For?

Because they use air to function rather than electricity, pneumatic switches are a popular choice for applications in wet environments or patient handling applications in the medical industry. They allow the user to safely operate the switch with wet hands/feet. They also only require a small amount of force for actuation making them perfect for patient use.

Some of the applications which use pneumatic switches are;

• Spa and health club applications – in public health clubs and spas, the controls for the sauna/ steam rooms/ jacuzzi baths/ public shower systems will often use a pneumatic push button switch. There is constantly water present in these environments and the user will typically have wet hands, so a pneumatic switch is very important for user safety.
• Public Toilet Flushes – sometimes a public toilet will use a pneumatic push button switch. These are safer in wet environments.
• Patient hoists – these are used in hospitals or in the home to help patients get around. Usually, a pneumatic hand control is used to operate as these require only a small amount of compression force.
• Medical bed controls – within medical facilities, a patient bed can be manoeuvred and repositioned using a footswitch or hand control. This is a popular choice for our pneumatic hand controls as they have large soft buttons for ease of use.  

Types of Pneumatic Switches

There are different types of pneumatic switches available. They are suited for different types of applications.

Pneumatic Push Button Switches – these are most well used in spas and health clubs. They are a simple switch, available in different sizes with custom options available.

Pneumatic Hand Controls – ergonomic designs, soft buttons with light compression required. Many of our hand controls have multi-button options. We also have our squeeze grip bellows which is very easy to use for patients.

Pneumatic Footswitches – our range includes heavy duty footswitches, general purpose footswitches and low-profile footswitches, they all offer - long life, high performance and guard options for added user safety.

Pneumatic Bellow Switches – our bellows switches are suitable for either hand or foot operation making them very versatile. They are highly durable and easy to clean; bases are available for some of the products in this range.

Compatible Airswitches

As well as our range of pneumatic switches we also have a range of compatible air switches. These are available to view on the Pneumatic Switches Line Card, they include standard switches, double switches, low pressure, staggered and PCB options.

Pneumatic Switches from Herga

All our pneumatic switches can be seen on our website and our pneumatic line card.

If you require a pneumatic switch or would like any more information, please contact us.