Heavy-Duty Joystick Platform from RAFI Simplifies Customization Process
November 8, 2021
RAFI has enhanced its JOYSCAPE platform for heavy-duty off-road and special-purpose vehicles and equipment found in agriculture, construction, mining and more. The JOYSCAPE platform features a robust, compact standard design base that can easily be customized with harsh environment control components to meet most any application requirements.
RAFI integrates buttons, rocker switches, thumb joysticks and rotary encoders into JOYSCAPE joysticks for a tailored control solution. RAFI can also employ wear-free noncontact electronic 3D Hall sensors for sophisticated motion detection and advanced safety considerations. JOYSCAPE joysticks also have options for CAN/CANopen, analog or USB interfaces.
Optional extras are also available such as illuminated handles for work at night, capacitive hand detection to avoid operating errors and easy-clean folding bellows for hygienically sensitive areas.
“RAFI joysticks are fully manufactured in-house and configured with various rockers, angles of deflection, operating forces or control components. This is how we ensure seamless integration into diverse customer systems,” said James Glenn, Regional Director of Sales & Business Development at RAFI.
Built to sustain 5 million operating cycles, the heavy-duty JOYSCAPE joystick achieves long operation lifetime, even in the most demanding environments. The heavy-duty joysticks are rated to operation temperatures between -40 °C and +85 °C.
Offering superior shock resistance, the joystick has 110 Nm impact strength in X and Y direction. It handles pressure up to 1000 N and tensile loads up to 500 N in Z direction. The ferromagnetic, high-alloy steel housing effectively shields the sensor system for added ruggedness. The sensors are designed redundantly for superior reliability and safety.
Due to its high center of rotation and large 20° tilt angle, the joystick only needs a small, 65 mm wide mounting hole.
