About Mechan Controls, safety switch manufacture

Mechan Controls plc:

A leading British designer and manufacturer of machine guard safety systems, Mechan Controls specializes in the production of non-contact safety switches. It operates throughout the world, providing its customers with durable, cost-effective safety switches that have proven their reliability in some of industry’s harshest, most demanding environments.

Backed by a dedicated technical team, Mechan Controls prides itself on its innovative approach to the development of ever more dependable safety switch systems. As our news section shows, we are engaged in a process of continuous development – a process that has given rise to a succession of highly popular and cost effective products. The Mechan range includes non-contact safety switches in stainless steel and ABS; sturdy slim-line models, coded magnetic switches and fully electronic safety switches with the option of up to half a million unique codes if required.

Tolerant of dust, vibration, misalignment, high temperatures and exposure to aggressive chemicals, Mechan safety switches are suitable for use in all machine guard applications and have a track record that is second to none.

History:

1971 - Mechan Controls was established in 1971 to design and manufacture non-contact machine guard safety switches for the harsh conditions of the can making industry.

1972 – Mechan introduced the world’s first modular electronic safety system. The Chassis ‘CH’ system proved so reliable and robust that thousands of systems monitoring between 1 and 30 gates were installed all over the world. Particularly in the canning making industries

1984 – Mechan introduced the compact MPX range of controls units. Compatible with all the original switches the MPX range reduced the panel space and costs required for larger systems.

1993 – Mechan introduced the MPX/DIN range. Industry standard DIN rail mounting Safety Control Units to monitor 4 or 8 electronic safety switches complete with LED and volt free contact indication for each safety switch. Making installation and fault diagnosis quicker and easier than ever before.

1997 – Mechan introduced the all new CODEX – Digital safety system. With the option of up to 500,000 unique codes, CODEX offered even more security and reliability to electronic safety switching.

1997 – Mechan introduced the F-SERIES Modular Safety System. This Category 4 electronic safety control unit was fully expandable to monitor 30 machine guards, had volt free and LED indication from each safety switch input, and the option of safety switches with 500,000 codes, the F-SERIES quickly became the standard for reliability and security

2000 – Mechan expand the product range to include Magnetic, Coded Magnetic and Standalone Electronic Safety Switches. With the introduction of MAGNASAFE, ISIS and SSS Mechan could now offer solutions to all non-contact applications from the simplest, Category 1 safety switch right up to the top of the range Category 4 electronic systems.

2003 – Mechan Controls PLC, Mechan becomes a public company, floating on the Ofex stock exchange 

2004 – Mechan distributed in the USA