ATEX Switches

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ATEX Switches

In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the current or diverting it from one conductor to another.The most familiar form of switch is a manually operated electromechanical device with one or more sets of electrical contacts, which are connected to external circuits. Each set of contacts can be in one of two states: either closed meaning the contacts are touching and electricity can flow between them, or open, meaning the contacts are separated and the switch is nonconducting. The mechanism actuating the transition between these two states (open or closed) can be either a toggle or momentary type.

ATEX is a European Directive (94/9/EC) valid for products to be used within an explosive atmosphere. The ATEX directive has been in force throughout the European Union since 1 July 2003, replacing the existing different national and European legislation relating to explosive atmospheres.