Electro Mechanical Assembly

What is an electro-mechanical assembly? The term can be used as a noun for any of many different creations — from relatively basic assemblies consisting largely of wires and cables to ‘box builds’, i.e. full system assemblies.

Each electromechanical assembly is designed and built to perform at least one type of mechanical action. Naturally, exactly what the intended action — or set of actions — is will depend on the specific assembly in question.

For this reason, the exact parts included will also differ from assembly to assembly. However, parts in an electro-mechanical assembly can often include: 

• Printed circuit board (PCB)
• Programmable logic controller (PLC)
• Switches
• Sensors 
• Safety features 

Below, you can read summaries of not only various electro-mechanical assembly types but also associated benefits and applications in each case.

Switch and Sensor Assemblies

With some electrical systems, you might want to be able to control when you allow an electrical current to actually flow through it. Fortunately, this ‘on/off’ functionality is built into a switch assembly, which usually includes: 

• Contacts for controlling whether a current flows to and from the switch;
• Switching mechanism used in operating the device (pushbuttons and toggle devices are examples of such mechanisms);
• Wiring harness that secures the switch in its place.

Meanwhile, a sensor assembly detects stimuli — like light, sound, heat or motion —before converting them into electrical signals. Sensor assemblies typically have: 

• Sensing elements for picking up on the external stimuli;
• Transmitters that transfer data collected via the sensors;
• Housings intended to protect the sensing elements;
• Connection heads linking the transmitters to the sensor wires.

Panel Assemblies

A panel assembly allows electrical power that runs through it to be distributed to other connected circuits. 

The term ‘panel assembly’ is derived from how the device is integrated into a series of panels. We are accustomed to making panel assemblies, as the process involves various techniques with which we are familiar.

Here is a basic rundown of steps we can take to physically build a panel assembly: 

• Place each component where it will be needed on the back panel 
• Saw or punch to provide this panel with holes for the above components 
• Drill holes to allow the hardware to be mounted 
• Wire the back panel

After creating the back panel through means of sheet metal fabrication, we can oversee all of the remaining phases outlined above — and even strengthen the device’s outer shell by adding a powder coating.

DIN Rail Assemblies

These electromechanical assemblies use the long metal strips known as ‘DIN rails’ to securely hold an array of electrical components inside an equipment rack.

The acronym ‘DIN’ stands for Deutsche Institut für Normung — the German-language name of what, in English, would be formally referred to as the ‘German Institute of Standards’.

This type of rack-mounting system first emerged in 1920s Germany. Today, the advantages of the DIN approach to electromechanical assembly include: 

• Impressive efficiency: Components can be slid onto the rail quickly, easily and in a tight configuration. Internal and external wiring circuits are able to sit closely together — and so save precious space — in the assembly.
• Great value: This isn’t just because DIN rails are inexpensive to buy, as their capacity for high-density mounting can also significantly lower the amount of space required for wiring and cabinetry.

Power Supply Assemblies

A power supply assembly — whether it serves as a standalone, self-contained device or is instead integrated into products — works by receiving an electrical current before converting it so that it can power at least one electrical load.

You can generally expect a power supply assembly to include the following standard components: 

• Transformer responsible for modifying the voltage upon its arrival 
• Rectifier that switches the current’s format from AC to DC
• Filter where the DC output is smoothed out
• Regulator for reducing ripple voltages untouched by the filter 
• Housing fitted to protect the assembly’s internal components

Transformer Assemblies

As we own the entire production process of  transformer assembly, we are able to integrate transformers between circuits so that electrical energy can be transferred between them with ease.

There is a lot of science behind how this energy is transferred. For a start, as circuits can differ in the voltages they require, a transformer’s role Is to convert voltages as they travel through multiple circuits.

Cable and Harness Assemblies

These electromechanical assemblies indeed comprise cables, not to mention wires — with these of all helping in a collective effort to transmit electrical signals or power. The other parts of a cable and harness assembly usually include: 

• Connectors for connecting the wires and cables to each other as well as the wider device
• Relays so that the power in high-amperage circuits can be turned on and off
• Fuses to prevent any power surges to the device from damaging it
• Ties securing the wire harness firmly to the electrical system
• Insulators intended to keep the system safe should any of its electrical parts touch each other or anything from the outside environment