Pressure switch keeps crop dusters spraying

Paul Boughton

Technological improvements involving World Magnetics’ DesignFlex pressure switches come in all shapes and sizes and nowhere are they better demonstrated than with the USA based crop-dusting innovator Earls’ Flying Service.

For nearly 40 years this company has pioneered improvements in aerial spraying that have become industry standards such as advanced gate controller design for fertiliser economy and GPS guided spraying for improved farmland productivity. Its latest development was to find a better way to determine when the airplane runs out of fertiliser.

Word Magnetics, represented in the UK by Variohm EuroSensor, were contacted by Earls’ to help specify a suitable pressure switch for the hopper-empty notification system. They required a pressure switch that could accurately work down to a few millibars but be durable enough to perform in the hostile conditions experienced on an agricultural crop duster.

DesignFlex specified the high current PSF103 series. Earls’ were able to choose the exact pressure port arrangement, diaphragm material, adjustment range and set point to meet their specific needs. 

With a working life in excess of 10 million cycles, this snap-action switch is mounted in a tough moulded polycarbonate housing and has a proven success across thousands of applications in industry, agriculture, aerospace and defence.

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