In most cases, the term “joystick” is associated with its use in gaming. It was also used for the first time in this field. It was used to control movements in a game precisely and accurately. Additional functions could be assigned through further buttons and the gaming pleasure increased further.
The industrial joystick is not far removed from this idea: here, too, a machine, a tractor or an excavator is to be controlled as precisely as possible. Not to pass the time, but to be able to act quickly, safely and purposefully. Whereas the gaming joystick is usually placed on the desk, the industrial joystick usually finds its place directly in the action: In the control panel of an excavator or tractor, on an armrest or on a remote control.
Depending on the area of application of the commercial vehicle, the demands on the joystick vary. From the single-axis fingertip to the multi-axial robust joystick, there is a specialist for every area of application that provides the machine operator with the best possible support. Whether for municipal vehicles, tractors, excavators or industrial trucks.
An industrial joystick is used to operate commercial vehicles such as tractors, excavators or industrial trucks. On the one hand, the joysticks are used to steer the vehicles themselves, and on the other hand, they control the functions of the commercial vehicle. A front loader joystick can be used to precisely control the swing arm of the front loader. With the basic functions swing arm up, swing arm down, tilt up, tilt down, a front loader joystick already controls four different functions. Additional buttons, fingertip switches or thumbwheels on the handle realise further functions – without the machine operator having to reach around. This turns the simple handle into a multifunctional handle.
The first step is to distinguish between single-axis joysticks and multi-axis joysticks. The intended use determines the number of joystick axes. However, although the intended uses are very different, the two types of joystick have many things in common.
Joysticks with one axis, i.e. with one direction of movement, can be compactly installed. Due to the absence of the second axis of movement, the joystick base remains narrow. They are available in all types of actuation: momentary, latching, with friction brake or with centre position lock. The output signal can be analogue, redundant, with CAN bus connection (CANopen / SAE J1939) or with switching output.
The multitude of resulting variants allows the use in almost all commercial vehicles. The functions of industrial trucks and municipal vehicles as well as agricultural and construction machinery can be precisely controlled.
These are joysticks with several axes: 2-axis, 3-axis and 4-axis joysticks belong to this range. By means of these controls, gripper arms, vehicles, utility machine attachments or swivel arms can be precisely guided.
The multi-axis joysticks from elobau can be used for any application. The compact mini joysticks are designed for use in small control panels and remote control consoles for delicate fine adjustment. Robust joysticks meet the high demands of work applications in mobile machines.
Robust joysticks are used in front loaders to control drives in harsh environments. With a load capacity of up to 2000 N, they are designed to also function as a handle when they need to provide support to the machine operator. Even though control sticks and joystick bases are not designed to act as a handhold for the machine operator when getting in and out of the machine, the robustness of the Robust Joystick shows safety in what can be demanded of them.
When elobau products talk about durability, they mean use under all conditions. In cold and heat, with dust and coarse impurities, with strong vibrations and great wetness. All our products are tested for durability in our test laboratories.
The industrial joystick must not be confused with the handle. The industrial joystick is installed as a joystick base from below or from above in the control panel – depending on the space available. The electronics are built directly into the joystick so that the control system can communicate directly with the machine via Can Bus protocol. Depending on the operating conditions of the commercial vehicle, the installed electronics are specially shielded against dust, water or other contaminants.
The IP67 certification indicates that the joystick is dustproof shielded and can withstand a 10-minute immersion in water up to a maximum of 1 metre. This is important as the temperature difference in cold stores could otherwise lead to condensation and water damage.
The handle is mounted on the industrial joystick. The control units for the functions of a front loader or an excavator thus consist of two components. These can be tailored precisely to the task area or to the functions of a construction machine. Whether a multifunction handle with a 2-axis joystick or a 4-axis hydraulic joystick with a handle with 2 buttons – the combination allows all requirement areas to be covered.
The handle and joystick unit are the interface between the excavator operator and the excavator. In order to accurately transmit the excavator operator’s commands to the machine, the machine operator must work as precisely as possible. However, the joystick and handle can be configured to make handling easier – and excavator operators can control their excavator more intuitively.
The actuation types, latching or tactile, have a supporting effect. The configurator can be used to define whether a multi-axis joystick is to act as a detent or a push-button. The type of actuation can also be defined for each axis.
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