October  29, 2009

TOKYO, October 29, 2009 – Yamatake & Co., Ltd. of the azbil Group has announced that it has completed formalities for the transfer of the pressure-sensitive switch business of Bridgestone Corporation, and it will commence operations on November 1.

Several types of pressure-sensitive switch are involved, including cable and mat switches, and these are used for enhancing safety in a wide range of applications – in factories and public transport systems, medical equipment, construction and agricultural machinery. They are typically used to switch off equipment in an emergency. In recent years, demand for these switches has been growing as a result of increasing awareness of safety issues.

As part of an initiative to enhance Yamatake's safety business, which contributes to the safety and peace of mind of customers, it was decided to expand the pressure-sensitive switch business. For quarter of a century the company has marketed a range of safety switches for use with machinery, and it has been selling pressure-sensitive switches manufactured by Bridgestone for over five years.

As a result of this new acquisition, in addition to taking over Bridgestone's customer base, the azbil Group – which is recognized both in Japan and overseas for serving the instrumentation safety and combustion safety needs of industrial customers – will now be able to expand into the field of machinery safety. The business plan sets a goal of achieving sales of over 2 billion yen in the next 3 years.

Driven by the Group philosophy of “human-centered automation,” the azbil Group will use this safety business in order to contribute to the on-site safety and peace of mind of its customers, enhancing its capabilities as a solution provider.

These pressure-sensitive switches will be exhibited at the following trade fairs: Measurement and Control Show 2009 TOKYO (November 18-20), and System Control Fair 2009 (November 25-28).

Lineup of pressure-sensitive switches

• Cable switch
  This switch incorporates conductive rubber and conductive wires so as to withstand impacts and heavy loads. It can also be installed on curved surfaces.
• L-shape cable switch
  An innovative L-shape design allows this switch to offer wide-angle (180-degree) detection.
• Belt switch
  This switch can be installed without modification even on curved corners. It is used to prevent limbs being caught in automatic doors and to stop industrial robots in an emergency.
• Cord switch
  This product features a length of PCR (pressure-conductive rubber) that serves as a pressure-sensitive switch.
• Mat switch
  This switch can be placed on the floor next to an industrial robot or machine tool so that as soon as a person walks on the mat, the equipment's emergency stop is activated. It comes in a variety of sizes and types – general-purpose, oil-proof, etc.
• Safety bumper
  This emergency-stop soft bumper was developed for automatic guided vehicles (AGVs).
• Compact rubber switch
  Featuring a waterproof and dustproof construction, this compact rubber switch can be used outdoors.

Mat switch	Safety bumper