With the continuous pursuit of people’s living environment, the demand for wall switch products is also rising year by year. In the dazzling market, how can importers reduce the purchase cost of product material has undoubtedly become a major concern of many buyers. Different markets have different needs, so the following are two perspectives on the external and internal materials of wall switches, to talk about the physical characteristics and price differences, which will definitely let you reap the benefits of your purchase.

I. Selection of various external materials

The use of switchboard and socket materials needs to consider the following requirements: flame retardant, insulation, and impact resistant. Flame resistant it goes without saying. The plate is installed on the wall and affected by various locations. The temperature in kitchens and areas with direct sunlight will be relatively high, and also due to problems with electrical products themselves, causing short circuits, sparks and other safety hazards. If you choose the panel which is not from the official channels of procurement, the flame retardance will be greatly reduced due to the problem of inferior materials. After several times of use, the light board will be deformed, or even more severely, melting, which in turn causes greater safety hazards. Insulation is also an important issue that cannot be ignored for sheet materials. The quality of impact resistance is also important to the product’s aesthetics and service life. If the material itself does not have good impact resistance, with poor quality materials instead of the common rubber wood and PC class on the market, the direct result is that the switch panel, for a short time, cracks, affecting the aesthetics, not to mention the resulting safety hazards more alarming. The subsequent series of after-sales problems will also make you anxious and angry for a long time.

Compare the three main sheet materials available on the market: bakelite, plastic and metal. Of course, here to highlight that the premise is the need to find a reliable factory, to ensure that the purchase of raw materials in the official way and the purchase of new materials, rather than the use of old materials well. Then about how to find a reliable manufacturer (here not to expand), and in the next article we will talk about this aspect of the topic. We proceed to analyze the three main materials as follows:

1. Bakelite: It is pressed from what we often call urea-formaldehyde molding compound. It can be converted into different shapes using templates for people to use. The characteristics of bakelite are good insulation properties, high strength and low deformation. It was the most common material used in the early years of socket wrench production and is relatively inexpensive. The color of Bakelite products can be relatively uniform, usually white, and can easily yellow and age under daily exposure to light and ultraviolet light. BG white traditional wall key chain, including round and square corner chain, are mostly made of bakelite. Data from online sales in the Middle East market shows that these products still have a certain market share.

2. Plastic: mainly refers to PC or ABS material. It is the predominant material in the market at present. This material has high strength, good elasticity, impact resistance, high temperature resistance, and high flame retardancy. Compared with bakelite, the weight of plastic will be lighter, and the price is slightly higher than bakelite. However, the elasticity of the plastic is good, the color stability is good, and the color selection is not uniform. Although the price is slightly higher than that of Bakelite, the longevity and aesthetics of plastic are more than Bakelite. Schneider’s S-Classic switches are made of PC, which gives them a softer line and are not as hard-wearing as Bakelite switches, but the obvious advantages of the material itself make plastics, especially PC, a better choice. S-Classic key combination, especially those made of PC, are gradually gaining market share.

3 .Metal: Generally made of stainless steel, aluminum, zinc alloy and so on. The metal plates are not only durable, but also have a metallic sheen and texture. You don’t have to worry about metal conduction and integrity issues. A metal key plate will be added to the inner plastic protective cover, thus ensuring the safety of using the issue. The texture of the material itself makes it visually very modern and, of course, the most expensive of the three materials. However, the metal key is undoubtedly the most age-resistant and the most durable of the three materials. For example, the UNICA series is made of aluminum and has a unique metallic luster that makes the entire product range an eye-catcher. Schneider ‘s Rocker Series , for example, is also available in aluminum and stainless steel. As can be seen from the pictures, the unique shiny metallic color shows the superior quality of the products, and in return, a more modern and technological feel.

In short, if the market is very sensitive to price and the appearance of the product is not in great demand, you can choose the bakelite wrench. For a more price-sensitive market with a certain demand for product appearance, consider plastic switches, which currently have a relatively high market share. For customers who have a certain degree of price acceptance and the pursuit of quality, you can try metal materials.

II. Various inner materials to choose.

After the panel material is introduced, the selection of internal materials is also very important.

Of the three parts: the contacts, the connecting metal parts, and the back plate.

1. Contact: Pure silver is the best contact material. It can guarantee the sensitivity of the product well. Our regular products are made of these materials. The mid-range and high-end BG and Schneider products , most of which use pure silver contacts, are more sensitive and have a better service life.

2.Connection metal: phosphorous tin bronze, called purple copper, is the best contact metal material. Socket brass piece using tin phosphor bronze material, it has high strength, good plasticity, with good electrical conductivity and is not easy to deform. However, the price of phosphorous bronze is higher than that of ordinary brass, so customers who have their own price budget may consider ordinary brass. The inner contacts of Schneider  switches are made of phosphorous tin bronze, which gives the product high conductivity and low heat content.

3, back cover: PC and ABS materials are the most commonly used materials for back covers. The flame retardancy and impact resistance are good, and they can meet the safety requirements of ordinary existing wall switches and sockets. However, for high power sockets such as 20A and 45A, you can also use nylon material, which has better flame retardant properties, but the price of nylon material is a little more expensive. When looking at Schneider products , the highest percentage of PC is used.

In short, sterling silver contacts, tin couplings, phosphor bronze and nylon backing are the optimal interior material combination. However, due to price restrictions for some customers, other materials as described above may be substituted to meet the price requirements.

Our company has also developed many series of wall switches in these three major materials.

For example, the V Series has a classic Bakelite panel look with a graceful curve on the top and bottom of the panel, giving the product a softer, less monotonous look. Besides the above advantage of bakelite products in one color, the series is only available in white. All popular one-two-three-four holes on the market are covered in our range, with different keys available and with single or dual control. In addition to switches and socket panels, we also have adjustable switches, and telephone and network line panels available.

R30 series are made of PC boards. Compared with the previously mentioned V series, R30 has more color options, adding beige, silver, rose gold and coffee gold to white. There are more options to match different decoration styles. For the Middle East market, the feedback on golden has been very good, and more and more importers are experimenting with different colors than the traditional white. Of course, the R30 series also includes Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4. Different switches can be chosen for single or double pole. In addition to switches and socket panels, we also have adjustable switches, and telephone and network line panels are available.

The T series is made of sheet metal with a cool modern feel. The whole series has excellent texture and the unique luster of the metal allows the products to show a different aesthetic in a different light. The Metal collection is currently available in two colours, brass and stainless steel.