NKK Switches Announces Subminiature, Full-Face Illuminated Pushbuttons With Ultra Quiet Actuation

SCOTTSDALE, AZ--(Marketwire - December 11, 2009) - NKK Switches, the world's leading designer and manufacturer of innovative electromechanical switches, today announced the availability of the HB2 Series of subminiature pushbuttons with full-face illumination and quiet actuation. The compact and contemporary design of this series makes it the preferred choice for a cutting edge appeal on front panel designs.

The HB2 Series was developed in response to design engineers' requests for a smaller version of NKK's acclaimed KP01 Series of pushbuttons. HB2 Series switches are SPST momentary devices featuring quiet actuation combined with a crisp tactile feedback, making them especially well-suited for telecommunications, medical, test, measurement, audio and broadcast equipment.

These pushbuttons come standard with either red/green or red/yellow bicolor built-in LEDs; the red/yellow combination can be combined to produce amber illumination. The LEDs are an integral part of the design and as a result, illumination is evenly diffused throughout.

Caps for HB2 Series switches were specially designed to accommodate various methods of applying legends. Options include laser etching, screen printing, film insert and pad printing. Custom legends, as well as value added assemblies, are available from NKK upon request.

The caps are 7.5mm square and have a clear lens with a white diffuser. The stroke has a total travel 1.8mm, with a pretravel of 1.3mm and an overtravel of 0.5mm.The nominal operating force is 1.8N. A unique actuation guide gives positive indication of circuit transfer and a smooth and quiet actuation.

The HB2 Series' compact design is further accentuated with a short body height of just 17mm from the PC board to the top of the cap. The housing is black and made of glass fiber-reinforced polyamide. These devices feature especially secure PC board mounting and alignment with crimped power terminals that also prevent dislodging during soldering.

Mechanical and electrical life is rated at 100,000 operations minimum. Contact reliability for logic level switching is ensured with NKK's award-winning Sliding Twin Crossbar (STC) design, providing unequalled reliability and long life. Rated at 0.4VA maximum @ 28V AC/DC maximum, these switches also have contacts with gold plating and an operating temperature range of -13 through 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

A leading designer and producer of electromechanical switches, NKK Switches offers one of the industry's most extensive selections of illuminated, process sealed, miniature, specialty, surface mount and programmable switches. NKK manufactures more than 3.5 million toggle, rocker, pushbutton, slide, rotary, DIP rotary, keypad and keylock switches, each of which can be used as the foundation of a customized design. All switches are designed and manufactured to provide the quality and dependability that has made NKK the benchmark for reliability for over half a century.

NKK continues to lead the industry in responding to the needs of the marketplace with innovation, high reliability, customization and a commitment to excellence. The company provides a full suite of customization solutions that include: design, programming, printing and support. Downloadable 3D CAD models of the company's switches are available, allowing design engineers to quickly integrate complex models into their designs at no charge. NKK maintains a complete network of qualified representatives and distributors through the United States, Canada, Central and South America, Europe and Asia.

Engineers who design the human-machine interface for their products rely on the broad product line, specialized design expertise and customer support of NKK Switches. For more information, contact NKK Switches, 7850 E. Gelding Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Phone: (480) 991-0942. Fax: (480) 998-1435. Visit the NKK Web site at www.nkkswitches.com.

Contact Information: For more information, contact: Chris Walker Connect Public Relations 480-366-6015 Bob Wanless NKK Switches 480-991-0942