Appleton announced a major expansion of its groundbreaking Unicode™ 2 Series of control stations with the introduction of a new line of 16 amp selector switches rated for hazardous industrial environments. “When Appleton introduced the Unicode 2 series in 2010, it was able to offer its worldwide customers the industry’s most versatile range of control stations meeting both ATEX and IECEx hazardous location requirements,” said Eric Goldberg, Marketing Director for Appleton. “Today, by extending the existing line with 16 amp switches, we are improving on the Unicode’s already outstanding configurability to satisfy the most complex control requirements with fewer components, reducing the customer’s parts inventory without compromising performance.”  

Simple to install and maintain, the selector switches are available in 2, 3, 4, 6, or 8 pole configurations in a variety of flexible contact arrangements. Additionally, custom contact configurations may be developed based on application specifics. The switches can be either panel or rail mounted which permits use either as a local control station or in a large control panel.

Appleton Unicode 2 Series 16 Amp Switches are rated for ATEX/IECEx Zone 1 and 2 as well as Zone 21 and 22 environments. They can be used in ambient temperatures ranging from -55 to 80 degrees Celsius. Typical applications include refineries, chemical plants, water treatment facilities, and pharmaceutical production sites.