Plastic soft touch knobs have become a popular alternative to conventional industrial knobs made of hard materials. As their name suggests, they are soft to the touch. Plastic soft touch knobs are still used in many of the same applications as their hard counterparts, but they feature a soft surface texture. Here’s everything you need to know about plastic soft touch knobs.
Overview of Plastic Soft Touch Knobs
Plastic soft touch knobs are mechanical industrial knobs that are characterized by a soft surface texture. They are commonly used with machinery, equipment and control systems. You can often make adjustments to a piece of machinery or equipment, for instance, by turning an industrial knob, such as a plastic soft touch knob.
What Are Plastic Soft Touch Knobs Made Of?
You might be wondering what, exactly, plastic soft touch knobs are made of. While there are different types of plastic soft touch knobs, most are made of a hard and durable inner material and a softer, more ergonomic outer material.
The inner material may consist of steel. Steel is commonly used for the studded or tapped insert in plastic soft touch knobs. This iron alloy is strong and durable, allowing it to withstand regular usage without degrading. The outer material, on the other hand, consists of soft plastic, such as high-quality polypropylene. This is the part of the knob that you’ll touch and turn.
Benefits of Plastic Soft Touch Knobs
One of the main benefits of using plastic soft touch knobs is comfort. Thanks to their soft outer material, such as high-quality polypropylene, they are more comfortable to use than traditional industrial knobs.
Plastic soft touch knobs are available in different styles. While they all feature a soft outer material, each style has a different design.
Popular styles for soft touch knobs include the following:
- 5 Lobe
- Knurled
- Fluted
- Knob
You can also choose between studded and tapped plastic soft touch knobs. They both use a threaded system for installation. The difference is that studded soft touch knobs feature a threaded rod, whereas tapped soft touch knobs feature a threaded hole. If the machine or equipment has a threaded hole, you should choose a studded soft touch knob. If the machine or equipment has a threaded rod, you should choose a tapped soft touch knob.
Rust isn’t a concern with plastic soft touch knobs. Polypropylene is a soft synthetic material, and since it doesn’t contain iron, it’s immune to rusting. While plastic soft knobs feature a metal inner material, it’s typically covered in a protective finish, such as zinc.