MK Electric, part of the Honeywell Automation & Control Solution Business and global supplier of electrical products, has entered into an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement with EnOcean GmbH, a pioneer in energy harvesting technology for intelligent green buildings. MK is currently integrating EnOcean’s self-powered wireless sensors into its wiring devices product portfolio to address the wireless, energy-saving switching needs of its UK customers.
Commenting on the agreement, Phil Daniell, Marketing Director of MK Electric, said: “Compared to other wireless communication solutions, EnOcean’s unique combination of energy harvesting and wireless technology is embedded in standardised modules, which are very simple to integrate into various switch designs. Not only do we benefit from the high level of functionality but the technology also enables a faster time to market and reduced design risks. This, combined with the technology’s existing success in Europe, made the cooperation an attractive proposition for MK.”
The technical innovation of EnOcean’s transmitter and receiver modules is that they are battery-less, wireless and maintenance-free. Energy harvested from the surrounding environment, such as linear motion, pressure, light, temperature change, rotation and vibration, is used to generate a signal of astonishing range. From just 50µWs a standard EnOcean wireless module can easily transmit sensor information at 125 kbit/s over a distance of up to 30 metres within buildings and 300 metres in a free field. The entire process is started, executed and completed in approximately 3 milliseconds (ms). Multiple telegram transmissions guarantee the highest transmission reliability at the lowest possible reaction times.
“Over 70 integration partners across the world are already delivering EnOcean interoperable products and now we have a major UK player on board to design and manufacture new products for building applications,” said Andreas Schneider, EnOcean’s Executive VP Sales & Marketing. “MK’s global brand and well-established reputation in the building sector make the company the ideal integration partner to build upon the growing awareness of self-powered wireless solutions and add value to the UK market.”
