Schmersal Group Plans 20% Recycled Material for Safety Switches

Recycled plastics Schmersal plans to use recycled material in safety switches

2024-05-19 Source: Schmersal 2 min Reading Time

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As part of its sustainability strategy to reduce its carbon footprint, the Schmersal Group plans to use 20 percent recycled material in the manufacture of safety switches with plastic housings. Initial independent tests by the Lüdenscheid Plastics Institute show promising results.

In future, the Schmersal Group plans to use recycled material in the manufacture of safety switching devices with plastic housings.(Source: Schmersal) — In future, the Schmersal Group plans to use recycled material in the manufacture of safety switching devices with plastic housings.
(Source: Schmersal)

The Schmersal Group is planning to use recycled material in the manufacture of safety switches with plastic housings in future. The company plans to use 20 percent recycled material in the switches manufactured using injection moulding process. Initial independent analyses now show that Schmersal is well on the way to achieving this goal. The project is part of the group’s sustainability strategy with the aim of reducing its CO₂ footprint.

To ensure that the recycled material used has no impact on the quality of the safety functions, the manufacturer commissioned comparative tests at the Lüdenscheid Plastics Institute. Switches made purely from virgin material were tested in comparison with switches consisting of 80 percent virgin material and 20 percent recycled pellets. Three different plastic materials were tested: Ultramid, Hostaform and Frianyl. The results of the Lüdenscheid Plastics Institute are now available: Regranulates made from Ultramid and Hostaform could be used immediately, while further product-related tests are required for Frianyl.

As part of the comparative tests, the Plastics Institute analysed a number of parameters using standardised test methods, such as the Charpy impact strength test in accordance with DIN EN ISO 179-1, which is used to determine the ductility (or toughness) of a plastic. Or the density measurement in accordance with DIN EN ISO 1183-1 and the contact resistance test in accordance with IEC 60093 to describe the electrical insulation behaviour. The aim here was to prove that switches made of mixed material withstand adverse environmental influences just as well as those made of pure new material. This was proven for two materials.

The next step is the certification of the safety switches by the TÜV. Then the way will be clear for series production of the switches with regranulate content. Schmersal would then be the first manufacturer to use recycled material in safety switches.

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