Switching Technology
Getting switched on to the benefits of antimicrobial components
Stuart Hutchings outlines the potential uses and value to design engineers of a new breed of ‘antimicrobial’ component
M
icrobes such as bacteria, mould and fungi occur in even the cleanest environment but due to
their nature, can quickly multiply on surfaces. Here’s a startling fact – one harmful microbe can multiply to more than four million microbes within only eight hours. Bearing that in mind, it’s not difficult to see how bacteria and other microbes spread so fast.
A switch is often the first contact point when a user interacts with a product, and as a result is a surface where microbes including viruses, mould and bacteria are often spread. As more and more component parts are used for applications in ‘high traffic’ public places, bacteria management is now a major concern. With this market trend in mind design engineers are on the look out for
component products which can provide safe, long-lasting and built-in antimicrobial protection.
How does antimicrobial technology work? There are two basic types of antimicrobial technology available to treat surfaces – organic and inorganic. Organic antimicrobials are based on chemicals and are often chosen as a cost- effective solution. However, they have been linked to serious illnesses such as cancer, and will decompose and leach from a product over time, reducing in efficiency over the life cycle of a product. In time, bacteria will develop resistance to organic antimicrobials due to their biological structure.
Inorganic antimicrobials such a silver are
far safer as there is no evidence to demonstrate the widespread resistance of bacteria to silver, as silver’s multi-modal antimicrobial activity reduces the opportunity for resistance to emerge. Unlike organic antimicrobial materials, silver is non-toxic and safer to use. The antimicrobial characteristics of copper and its alloys have also been under investigation for decades and has been proven to cause cell death over time in harmful bacteria, however silver remains the material of choice for effective, proven antimicrobial treatment.
Innovative new technology Innovative silver ion technology is now being manufactured into certain component products at the time of manufacture in the form of silver ions, which concentrate on the surface. A low concentration is slowly released over time, giving the product lifelong antimicrobial protection.
When any microbe comes into contact with the surface it binds with the silver ions. This means the enzymes cannot produce energy, leaving the microbes unable to re-produce and effectively eliminating the spread of bacteria, mould or a virus on the surface of the switch, with antimicrobial protection reducing levels of microbes on the surface of the treated product by up to 99.99%.
Rigorous testing Rigorous R&D and testing processes are required to develop antimicrobial product ranges. Protected products must be validated and quality control tested to ISO 22196 where applicable, in an independent laboratory and only products that demonstrate over a 95% reduction in bacteria can display quality seals of approval for superior antimicrobial performance.
32 December 2011/January 2012 Components in Electronics
A number of environmental trials in hospitals, food processing and care homes have scientifically proven that silver ion treated products are as effective in situ as in laboratory testing, consistently reducing levels of microbial contamination in the environment by over 95%. Laboratory tests have also repeatedly demonstrated the ability of silver ion treated surfaces to inhibit the growth and formation of moulds and yeast.
Increased functionality and competitive advantages Component parts will always be selected on the basis of their functionality and the characteristics they can add to enhance a finished product. In the case of antimicrobial components, this allows a design engineer to offer a new advantage to the end user. Silver ion technology provides antimicrobial protection without compromising the aesthetic design of a product or technical characteristics of a product.
Antimicrobial components present OEMs with a distinctive new feature, which offers a key point of end equipment differentiation in a highly competitive market. Consider the choice your customers face – do they buy an electronic device built using proven, highly functional and high performance component parts, or an identical product which provides all of these features plus protection against the spread of surface bacteria? It sounds like a no brainer.
New markets and applications What’s more, antibacterial component parts are suitable for use in a wide range of ‘high traffic’ applications, such as healthcare, laboratory science, education, catering, leisure and more general public spaces – antibacterial switches are ideally suited for use in any scenario where
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