XAC Control Handle Switch — 2-Button Pendant with Emergency Stop

Description

XAC control handle switch in the A2713 version is a two-button pendant station with a mushroom-head emergency stop added at the head of the button column. It is a cable-connected control handle rather than a radio device, so it is the choice where the operator works from a fixed position, where wireless control is not accepted by the site risk assessment, or where a machine needs a permanent local control point alongside a remote system.

The station is built to IEC 60947-5-1 with a positive-opening emergency stop contact, a double-insulated polypropylene enclosure rated IP65, and a 10 A thermal current rating that lets the buttons switch modest loads directly.

■ Where a two-button pendant with emergency stop is used

The A2713 format appears wherever an operator needs one or two machine functions plus an immediate stop, at a fixed working position:

• Hoists and winches with up/down only, where travel is not powered or is controlled separately.
• Machine guard and access positions needing a local start/stop station with a stop actuator that can be struck without looking.
• Conveyors, doors and gates with one open/close pair of functions plus a stop.
• Local backup stations fitted next to a crane that is normally operated by remote control, so the machine can still be moved when the transmitter is unavailable.

Where more control buttons are needed, the same handle family extends to the six-button XAC-A6713 with emergency stop. Where the emergency stop is not required at all, the two-button XAC-A271 provides the same two-button layout without it.

■ Pendant data sheet

■ Specifying the right pendant for your control circuit

Because this is a wired station, the selection questions are about contacts and cable rather than radio. Four points decide the build.

1. Decide whether the stop must be monitored. The mushroom button uses a positive-opening N/C contact — a direct mechanical action opens it, so a welded contact cannot hold the stop circuit closed. Where the machine safety function requires a monitored or dual-channel stop circuit, say so at enquiry: the circuit category, wiring arrangement and functional testing then have to be designed for that machine and verified at commissioning, which is a different arrangement from a single-channel stop.
2. Fix the contact configuration before the button legends. Each control button can be supplied N/O or N/C. N/O is the normal choice for starting a movement; N/C is used where the safe state has to coincide with the released button, or where an existing circuit is wired to expect it. Getting this wrong means an unserviceable station, so it belongs in the order, not in the field.
3. Work out what the buttons are switching. With a 10 A thermal current rating and slow-break contacts, the station can handle modest direct loads, but it is normally used to drive contactor coils rather than motor circuits. Confirm the coil burden of every output in the circuit, especially where several coils are energised together, and specify short-circuit protection at 10 A gG (gL) as the data sheet requires.
4. Plan the cable before the station arrives. Terminals accept 0.5 mm² minimum up to 2 × 1.5 mm² or a single 2.5 mm² conductor, with or without a cable end, and the moulded boot at the head of the enclosure provides strain relief. State the required cable length and the core count when ordering, since the boot is fitted to the cable diameter at manufacture and a mismatched cable will not seal properly.

■ XAC control handle switch price range

Indicative export prices per station, ex-works Zhejiang. Quotations follow the exact contact configuration and cable arrangement ordered.

Three factors explain the spread: the contact configuration, which is assembled rather than chosen from stock; the cable arrangement, where a pre-fitted cable with moulded boot costs more than a bare station; and whether the North American UL / CSA version is required, since that build uses different rated components. Accessories — spare contact blocks, mushroom actuators and legend plates — are cheaper when ordered with the stations than as separate shipments.

■ Ordering information and quality assurance

What to state on the enquiry

Supply and control-circuit voltage, the contact configuration required for each of the two control buttons, the emergency-stop contact arrangement and whether the stop circuit must be monitored, the cable length and core count, the button legends or symbols, quantity, and whether the UL / CSA version is needed for a North American project. With those six items we can confirm the build before it is assembled, which is the whole point of a configured pendant.

Lead time and delivery

Standard stations are quoted from 1 piece, and stations assembled to a specified contact configuration from 10 pieces. Typical lead time is 7–15 working days for configured stations and longer where a pre-fitted cable with moulded boot is specified, because the boot is moulded to the cable rather than clamped to it. Payment terms are issued with the quotation. Stations ship in export cartons with the legend plate fitted and the terminal referencing sheet included.

Quality assurance

Each station is assembled, inspected and function tested before dispatch, including a check that the emergency-stop contact opens positively rather than through spring force alone. The station carries CE marking and is built to IEC 60947-5-1 and the related national standards listed on the data sheet, with NEMKO approval on the standard build. Functional testing of the complete stop circuit on the machine remains the installer’s responsibility at commissioning, as the data sheet notes — a pendant cannot be tested in isolation from the circuit it is wired into. The standard warranty covers twelve months against manufacturing defects, and spare contact blocks and actuators remain available so a worn station can be repaired rather than replaced.

■ About the manufacturer

The station is produced by Zhejiang iehc Electrical Technology Co., Ltd, which has manufactured electrical control equipment in Liushi Town, Yueqing since 2003. The company operates a 1,500 sqm plant with more than 50 employees and 20+ sets of production and testing equipment, and works as an integrated manufacturer with its own R&D, tooling and assembly rather than as a trading house.

Control handles, pendant stations and pushbutton devices are one of the four product lines, alongside industrial wireless remote controls, pushbutton switches with signal lights and custom OEM control solutions. Six patents, twelve trademarks and thirteen qualification certificates sit behind the range, and the factory inspects every unit before shipment rather than sampling batches.

The wider range is grouped under control handle and pendant stations. Where wireless operation is preferred for the same machine, start from the industrial remote control systems range.

Send the voltage, contact configuration, cable length and market requirement through our contact page and we will confirm the build and price. General purchasing questions are answered on the IEHC FAQ page, and the company background is on the about page.