Emergency STOP button for electric winches?

[BigBeakie]

Does anyone have an emergency stop button for their electric winch or better yet, winches? Anyone know an elegant solution to wire it to a single STOP button? We have 2 electric Andersens at the helm and I'd want to shut down power to both with one button.

It seems from my searching that there are solutions for AC circuits for AC electric motors, but for DC motors only a solenoid ( like a Cole Hersee) driven button or a breaker right at the winch location. Not keen in an emergency to have to manually turn a lever on a breaker vs punch a button.

Is there anything used on boats better than this?

[Snore]

BigBeake,

From a safety perspective you are 100% correct. But an OSHA inspector would get writers cramp with all the hazards on a sailboat.

When I teach new owners how to use an electric winch, the first lesson is that they are not allowed to pace their hands in front of the winch. I also teach to stand behind the winch, or 180 from the load. This is to eliminate the possibility of fingers getting pulled in.

[bdgWesternMass]

Here is a list of stop buttons offered by mcmaster a chose the page that lists the ip66 buttons which should be ok for outdoor use.

there are other sources.

Ben

[BigBeakie]

Originally Posted by Snore

BigBeake,

From a safety perspective you are 100% correct. But an OSHA inspector would get writers cramp with all the hazards on a sailboat.

When I teach new owners how to use an electric winch, the first lesson is that they are not allowed to pace their hands in front of the winch. I also teach to stand behind the winch, or 180 from the load. This is to eliminate the possibility of fingers getting pulled in.

Thanks, and yes part of the need for an emergency STOP is personal safety of course. But it is also the equipment damage or destruction aspect to consider. If the e-winch is loaded with the main halyard especially if it is a dyneema halyard, and the winch control button fails....very bad things will happen. If there happens to be a crew member on their way up the mast at that time, a death could easily occur.

[bdgWesternMass]

Originally Posted by bdgWesternMass

Here is a list of stop buttons offered by mcmaster a chose the page that lists the ip66 buttons which should be ok for outdoor use.

there are other sources.

Ben

I just realized there was no list...


https://www.mcmaster.com/emergency-s...l-rating~ip66/

[BigBeakie]

Originally Posted by bdgWesternMass

Here is a list of stop buttons offered by mcmaster a chose the page that lists the ip66 buttons which should be ok for outdoor use.

there are other sources.

Ben

Thanks Ben. Finding buttons is easy, it's being careful that the specific button is suitable for the job, that is my challenge. E-winches are high current devices and being inductance motors the contacts in switches can weld shut if it's a NC contact, which defeats the purpose.

I guess I'm hoping to hear from someone who has done this successfully. I've seen some yachts with emergency stop buttons on their electric winches, so how do they wire it?

[bdgWesternMass]

Well, I have done it for industrial equipment.
If you provide the spec of the winches I could tell you what switch would work.


Essentially if you just cut the circuit by interrupting the path to common/ground/positive leg is what you want to do.

Wire the switch so when it is pushed it breaks the circuit is what one does.

[Jammer]

Typical winch motor peak draw is over 100 amps DC. You will not find a suitable switch for that kind of current. Most (all?) sailboat winches come with a contactor that does the switching. If you trust the contactor, you can use a normally closed switch to interrupt power to the contactor. Industrial types are a good choice because they typically designed to force the contacts apart with the effort of the push rather than relying on springs, which makes them less likely to fail closed.

If you don't trust the contactor (and they do fail closed) then you have three choices:

1) You can set up another contactor in a "crowbar" configuration that shorts across the motor windings forcing the fuse to blow or breaker to trip.

2) You can set up another contactor in series with the winch contactor, use a two-pole "winch operate" button that activates both contactors, use a two-pole "e-stop" button that disables them, and provide some sort of warning light or supervision or means of testing if the contactors fail shut (there are various ways to do this none ideal).

3) You can implement the solution you've already discarded, and have a high-current manual shutoff device that is more bulky and slower to operate than an e-stop button, either a breaker or a knife switch or similar.

Generally the idea with electric winches is that you don't use the self-tailing feature while running the motor. That way, if the motor won't stop, the drum turns but you don't pull so the line doesn't get overtensioned.

[BigBeakie]

Originally Posted by bdgWesternMass

Well, I have done it for industrial equipment.
If you provide the spec of the winches I could tell you what switch would work.


Essentially if you just cut the circuit by interrupting the path to common/ground/positive leg is what you want to do.

Wire the switch so when it is pushed it breaks the circuit is what one does.

Thanks, your suggestions would be appreciated. We have 2 Andersen E1 - ST52's single speed running 24 volt. They have 80 amp breakers.

As I said the issue is whether the switch can carry the amperage and not burn the contacts closed due to arcing.

[BigBeakie]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Typical winch motor peak draw is over 100 amps DC. You will not find a suitable switch for that kind of current. Most (all?) sailboat winches come with a contactor that does the switching. If you trust the contactor, you can use a normally closed switch to interrupt power to the contactor. Industrial types are a good choice because they typically designed to force the contacts apart with the effort of the push rather than relying on springs, which makes them less likely to fail closed.

If you don't trust the contactor (and they do fail closed) then you have three choices:

1) You can set up another contactor in a "crowbar" configuration that shorts across the motor windings forcing the fuse to blow or breaker to trip.

2) You can set up another contactor in series with the winch contactor, use a two-pole "winch operate" button that activates both contactors, use a two-pole "e-stop" button that disables them, and provide some sort of warning light or supervision or means of testing if the contactors fail shut (there are various ways to do this none ideal).

3) You can implement the solution you've already discarded, and have a high-current manual shutoff device that is more bulky and slower to operate than an e-stop button, either a breaker or a knife switch or similar.

Generally the idea with electric winches is that you don't use the self-tailing feature while running the motor. That way, if the motor won't stop, the drum turns but you don't pull so the line doesn't get overtensioned.

Thanks Jammer, very good suggestions that I will follow up.

It looks like getting industrial breakers that can be nicely mounted near the winches is the obvious solution. Something like the Heineman breakers seem appropriate, if I can decide on which one is best.

[ggray]

This:

Originally Posted by Jammer

Generally the idea with electric winches is that you don't use the self-tailing feature while running the motor. That way, if the motor won't stop, the drum turns but you don't pull so the line doesn't get overtensioned.

I can't say I do this, but I'm standing by (behind the winch!) and ready to take the line out of the self tailer if need be. I always do final tensioning manually...talking about using it only for raising the main.

But it's the right idea.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by BigBeakie

It looks like getting industrial breakers that can be nicely mounted near the winches is the obvious solution. Something like the Heineman breakers seem appropriate, if I can decide on which one is best.

Be sure you get something suitable for wet saltwater environments.


You might want to look at the Blue Sea 285 series.


You could also look at battery cutoff switches, assuming you have overcurrent protection elsewhere. They may be easier to mount:


https://www.wholesalemarine.com/boat...=1&brand=1134#

[bdgWesternMass]

Sorry for the misinformation I posted yesterday.
Here is a high battery disconnect that meets your power specs.

https://www.arc-components.com/sd150...-max-5261.html


https://www.albrightinternational.co...Data-Sheet.pdf

Unfortunately it has no weatherproof rating so would need an enclosure.

[BigBeakie]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Be sure you get something suitable for wet saltwater environments.


You might want to look at the Blue Sea 285 series.


You could also look at battery cutoff switches, assuming you have overcurrent protection elsewhere. They may be easier to mount:


https://www.wholesalemarine.com/boat...=1&brand=1134#

I like the look of the Blue Seas 285 but there is an asterisk with tiny writing that says "not recommended for use as a switch with inductive loads". So that seems to preclude using them with electric motor, wouldn't it?

[BigBeakie]

Originally Posted by bdgWesternMass

Sorry for the misinformation I posted yesterday.
Here is a high battery disconnect that meets your power specs.

https://www.arc-components.com/sd150...-max-5261.html


https://www.albrightinternational.co...Data-Sheet.pdf

Unfortunately it has no weatherproof rating so would need an enclosure.

That ARC 24v switch looks very promising, good find! Thanks[emoji106]