New wireless foot switches for welding
stations and other heavy-duty applications

The steute business division Controltec has expanded its range of wireless foot switches to include a variant developed specifically for heavy-duty applications such as welding stations. In such applications, wireless foot switches really make sense because the lifetime of cabled foot switches can be limited due to weld spatter damaging the cables. And during normal work processes, the cables can also be a tripping hazard. Conventional foot switches are not suitable here, however, because their protective shields are not large enough for the reinforced safety shoes worn by the welders, who still need to be able to actuate the pedals freely. Especially for such heavy-duty applications, steute has now engineered a robust and enlarged protective shield from powder-coated steel. The shield is fixed to the wireless foot switch and provides enough space to operate both pedals even when wearing reinforced safety shoes as protection against weld spatter. The protective shield also guards against any unintentional actuation of the pedals. A carrying handle facilitates flexible positioning of the foot switch.

An RF GFS 2 XL wireless transmitter has been integrated in the protective shield – well protected from mechanical impact and so that its signals can reliably reach the antenna of the corresponding receiver unit. This occurs using the steute sWave wireless technology, which is implemented all over the world and can achieve a range of up to 20 m indoors even in unfavourable industrial conditions (coexistence with other wireless systems, radiation). This new wireless foot switch was originally developed as a customised project for a company producing welded structures. Having been successfully tried and tested in that application, it is now available within the steute standard range of wireless switching devices.