Product category:
Springs, dampers, latches, locks and small components
News Release from: Southco | Subject: Heavy-duty vice-action compression latch
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 06 May 2002
Heavy-duty performance meets modern
design
A novel heavy-duty vice-action compression latch was designed to meet both the performance and aesthetic needs of equipment used in the heavy-duty machinery and transportation industries.
New trends in off-highway equipment - especially in aesthetics and environmental legislation - require new thinking in latch and access hardware design There was a time when access hardware used in the off-highway industry was really only required to be durable and robust enough to withstand everyday hard use
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 20 Nov 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Latches had to function well; they weren't usually required to look good.
Today durability, corrosion-resistance, UV-stable materials and operator safety are still primary considerations in hardware choices, but more and more, though, off-highway and construction equipment manufacturers also want modern, aesthetic designs combined with superior function.
They want latches that compliment the look and feel of their equipment in order to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.
This trend - the marriage of design and function - is allowing for some exciting new products.
Southco has been providing latches and access hardware to this industry for more than 50 years.
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When Lucent Technologies designed a new generation electronics enclosure, the company needed a new generation latching system that would complement it in terms of both function and design.
Southco works closely with many leading companies in this industry in order to understand their needs and develop products that meet their function and design requirements.
The company's new heavy-duty vice-action compression latch is one example of a product that was designed specifically to meet both the performance and aesthetic needs of equipment used in the heavy-duty machinery and transportation industries.
This innovative new latch provides extreme durability and outstanding environmental protection, while its ergonomically designed flush cup and handle conforms to today's industrial design requirements, and can even help a company differentiate their product from the rest of the industry.
The latch eliminates vibration, offers flush installation and key-lockable security, and is quick and easy to operate.
It can also be adjusted to meet a wide range of grips, allowing the same latch to be used in a variety of applications.
Custom colour options are available upon request to meet customers' specific design requirements.
"We wanted to be able to offer this industry a latch that meets all the requirements of safety and security, durability, compression, and quick operation, yet still have it meet today's aesthetic and industrial design requirements", says Southco Industry Manager Irene Le Covec.
"This heavy-duty compression latch is the best of both worlds.
It provides outstanding environmental protection while addressing industrial design requirements".
This is especially important as this industry expands globally.
Latches and other access hardware that meet numerous international standards for noise reduction, restricted access, and operator safety are now becoming primary considerations.
Fast, inexpensive customisations, including unique colours, keylocks or other methods of restricting access are key benefits for many equipment manufacturers in this industry.
So as the ability to purchase one latch that can be used on several applications at a company's global locations helps standardise vendors and inventory.
As Southco supports engineering and manufacturing operations worldwide, the company understands the needs of equipment manufacturers in this industry and can quickly respond with products that are based on standard products, yet are slightly customised to meet their needs, and allow a measure of differentiation.
"The look of this latch is very modern", says Stuart Buckland, a Southco Design Engineer in Worcester, UK who worked on the latch's development.
"It meets the design criteria that many of our customers are looking for.
We also developed it to be easily modified to match different customers' styling requirements.
Things like changing the cup size or shape are easily done, as the handle and latching mechanism remain standard".
Southco's new latch is based on the company's patented and proven vice action compression mechanism, which provides 6.4mm of consistent, pull-up compression.
This ensures a tight seal against outside contaminants and efficiently compresses the gaskets typically used to eliminate vibration and reduce noise levels.
The latch is particularly suited to applications where customers need to obtain certification to international standards such as the EU directive (2000/14/EC) which states that all equipment used outdoors must meet defined noise emission levels in order to obtain the CE mark.
"This latch can help our customers get certified as it efficiently compresses the gaskets the customers may want to use to reduce noise levels", says Le Covec.
The robust construction and durability of this latch make it an ideal solution for numerous applications within the off-highway and heavy-duty equipment industries, including most heavy-duty machinery that is used outdoors, construction, mining, and agricultural equipment, waste treatment equipment, and heavy-duty transportation equipment such as industrial trucks and even emergency vehicles.
This latch is particularly suited for use on external access panels and engine hoods and covers.
The ergonomically designed T-handle provides a secure grip for gloved hands while its constant torque ensures for smooth, easy operation.
To open the latch, simply lift the handle and turn.
To close, turn the handle to secure the pawl, and then push it down into its recessed cup.
The T handle itself offers added functionality, since it can be retained both in the open and closed position due to a detent mechanism within the cap and handle.
This detent keeps the handle closed while the equipment is in operation, ensuring that the latch cannot open.
A shuttered keylock is concealed under the folded T-handle to restrict access, and also help keep out dirt and other contaminants.
Custom key-codes are available to meet specific access-restriction requirements.
"We made sure we designed in the ability to make the latch using different and customer-specific lockplugs", says Buckland.
The latch is also available in a nonlocking version for quick, unrestricted access.
The latch can be installed both horizontally and vertically, increasing its flexibility of use in different types of applications.
The cup installs flush on a panel so that there are no protruding parts, which provides a measure of safety for operators working near the equipment.
A single prepared hole is all that is needed for installation.
Captive studs on the latch help aid installation, and also ensure complete concealment of all hardware when installed, providing no vantage point for vandals.
The latch is also available in a handle-only version for custom or composite panels.
The latch was subject to extensive testing during development in order to ensure its suitability for heavy-duty applications.
This testing included cycle life performance under load at various operating temperatures, durability testing which included measuring the T-handle strength in the x-, y- and z-axis, twist and pull tests to determine the integrity of the internal mechanism, and environmental exposure testing.
The stylised T-handle has been successfully tested to 10,000 cycles, and the latch's corrosion-resistant finish has passed 500 hours of salt fog testing.
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