Omron A22E (22 mm Emergency Stop) & A4EG (Enabling Grip Switch)

At a glance

• Category: Command and signalling devices for personnel-safety functions on machinery. Two Omron products in one card because Julian is asked to sell them together on machine-builder / robotic-cell deals:
  • A22E / A22NE = ø22 mm panel-mount emergency stop push-button switch (Not-Halt) per EN ISO 13850 (Safety of machinery — Emergency stop function, principles for design), with direct opening action (Zwangsöffnung) per IEC 60947-5-5.
  • A4EG = three-position enabling grip switch (Zustimmungsbaustein, ZBE) for teach-pendant / robot-cell / set-up-mode operation per ISO 13849-1 PL (performance level) and IEC 60947-5-1 (positive opening operation certified).
• Typical applications: robot-cell teach pendants and set-up stations; CNC and machining-centre safety circuits; packaging-line operator stations; press brakes and stamping presses; AGV (automated guided vehicle) / AMR (autonomous mobile robot) operator panels; conveyor emergency stops; food and beverage lines (IP69K variants for washdown); pharma clean-room machinery; intralogistics.
• Price positioning in DACH: A22E sits mid-market, materially below Schmersal NDR on the washdown / IP69K branch and roughly at parity with IDEC XW on standard e-stops. A4EG competes head-on with Schmersal ZSD (plastic-housing enabling grip) — Omron is typically below Schmersal on list for the equivalent 2-contact + e-stop configuration; exact delta to be pulled from Omron price matrix day one.
• Headline selling point: one Omron product family gives you (a) DACH-compliant 22 mm e-stop with direct opening, multiple NC/NO combos, Push-In Plus terminals (A22NE-PD), IP65/IP67, and key-reset / pull-reset options; and (b) a three-position enabling grip with the "Original Double Snap Action" click-feel that operators actually notice in fatigue tests. The two talk to the same G9SX-GS safety controller, which is how Omron lands the set-up-mode circuit as a package instead of letting Pilz / Schmersal unbundle it.

Key specifications

DACH standard wiring is PNP on the input side of the safety relay, with the physical contacts on the e-stop being mechanical NC (normally closed) with direct opening action per EN ISO 13850 §4.1.4. The contact opens whether the safety relay is PNP-read or not — the DACH installer then wires each NC channel to a PNP input of the safety evaluation (G9SX, Pilz PNOZ, Sick UE etc.). The primary comparison is Omron A22E-M-02 / A22NE-MP-PD02 (2NC direct opening, 22 mm, push-lock turn-reset) vs IDEC XW1E-BV402MFR (2NC, 22 mm, push-lock pull/turn-reset) vs Schmersal NDRZ50RT + EF220.1 (2NC contact block, 22.3 mm, pull-reset, IP69K). The A4EG enabling grip is compared separately against Schmersal ZSD5 / ZSD6.

Emergency stop, ø22 mm

Enabling grip (Zustimmungsschalter), robot-cell and teach-pendant use

Where Omron wins

• Push-In Plus terminals on A22NE-PD. A22NE-PD variants ship with spring-cage "Push-In Plus" terminals — a ferruled wire pushes in by hand, no screwdriver, no torque-check step. On a panel with 8–20 operator stations (typical on a packaging line or press-shop guarding cascade) this is a measurable labour saving for the OEM machine builder. IDEC XW is screw-only on the datasheet capture. Schmersal NDR is screw-only, 1 N·m max torque. In Swiss machine-builder time costing (~CHF 120/h), six minutes saved per station across 20 stations is roughly CHF 240 off the build — on a category where e-stops are usually the commodity item.
• Full Omron safety-chain integration. A22E on the operator door → D4NS / D40A guard-lock → A4EG on the teach pendant → G9SX-GS safety controller → G9SP safety PLC if scale demands. One wiring logic, one spare-parts catalogue, one support-case path. IDEC sells a full range but most DACH panel-builders already use Pilz or Sick safety logic and IDEC e-stops as the front-end; the chain is mixed. Schmersal pairs cleanly with Schmersal PROTECT but rarely with an Omron PLC in the same cabinet.
• A4EG "Double Snap Action" click feel. The datasheet explicitly documents two click transitions — first click at Pos 1→2 (enable) and second at Pos 2→3 (panic grip). Operators doing a 6-hour robot-teach shift on an automotive body-in-white cell prefer a tactile boundary to a smooth graduated grip. Schmersal ZSD datasheet describes "ergonomically shaped" but does not document two distinct click transitions in the captured source. This is the one A4EG feature that lands in an end-user evaluation, not just a spec-sheet contest.
• A4EG low-level load specification. 24 VDC / 4 mA minimum on the enabling contacts is fully documented — which means A4EG can switch directly into a modern safety-PLC input or G9SX input without additional signal conditioning. Schmersal ZSD minimum load is not in the captured source; when the buyer asks, the answer slows the quote.
• Single TÜV-certified direct opening chain. A22E and A4EG are both TÜV SÜD certified to EN 60947-5-1 for direct opening operation — the certificate covers the whole A4EG-C0000…, -BE2R…, -BM2B… series. Machine builders putting SISTEMA files together for ISO 13849-1 PL calculations can quote one certifying body and one certificate family. Mixed Pilz / Schmersal / IDEC chains usually carry three certificates.
• Replacement depth in DACH. A22E and A4EG are stocked by RS Components, Distrelec, Conrad and Misumi DE at the SKU level. A4EG-C000041 next-day is realistic in Switzerland and Germany; Schmersal ZSD5 / ZSD6 lead-times from panel-builder channels are historically longer.

Where IDEC and Schmersal win

• Schmersal NDR has IP69K standard, not as an add-on suffix. NDRZ50RT is IP67 + IP69K as shipped, validated at 1 450 psi / 80 °C washdown. Omron A22NE needs the "-69K" suffix and not all contact / LED combinations are available in the IP69K sub-family. For Nestlé, Emmi, Hochdorf, Hipp, Roche, Novartis or any food / pharma washdown floor, Schmersal is genuinely the safer recommendation — don't try to argue the point. Only win this branch when the customer needs IP69K and they're already an Omron PLC / safety-controller shop where cross-ecosystem support hassle outweighs the IP delta.
• Schmersal NDR operating-temperature range. −25 to +80 °C on the Schmersal NDR operator and EF contact blocks, documented. Omron A22E operating temperature was not explicit in the captured source; A4EG is only −10 to +55 °C. In cold-storage food DCs, outdoor vehicle installations, or machinery near ovens and furnaces this tilts the spec to Schmersal until Omron confirms a wider range per SKU.
• Schmersal EF contact block electrical life. 10 000 000 operations on the contact block itself (mechanical life, no load) versus 100 000 operations documented on the A4EG direct-opening cycle. For an e-stop that is exercised on every shift end in a 3-shift operation (3 cycles/day × 250 days × 20 years ≈ 15 000 cycles) both products are fine, but Schmersal prints the bigger number and buyers read spec sheets.
• IDEC XW: up to 4NC main + 2NO monitor. For complex safety cascades that need separate monitor-circuit feedback to a PLC (not just the safety relay), IDEC's 4NC + 2NO configuration on a single 22 mm e-stop is one contact step above Omron A22E (2NC + 1NO max per captured source) and Schmersal NDR (EF blocks cap at 2NC). Machine builders writing their own PL d / PL e safety files with secondary monitoring sometimes prefer this without the additional modular block.
• IDEC price point. IDEC XW on German distribution is often the cheapest of the three for a like-for-like 2NC 22 mm e-stop with LED. If the customer is a contract manufacturer who ships panels at thin margins, the price fight is real. Move the conversation to Push-In Plus and the G9SX ecosystem, not to spec-per-spec.
• Schmersal ZSD as the "Schmersal-shop default." If the customer's existing panel is already Schmersal PROTECT PSC1, AZM400 guard-lock, and MZM100, the ZSD enabling grip is the native option and an A4EG bolt-on is extra documentation. In this case concede ZSD and use A22E + G9SX on the next project.

Typical objections & responses

Researched from Electrician Talk, PLCtalk, and Schmersal / IDEC / Omron customer forums — each objection tied to a source type, not invented.

• "Schmersal is the only serious brand for safety hardware." (Common position in DACH panel-builders, reinforced by forum comments like "100 % Schmersal otherwise" on Electrician Talk.) → Half-true. Schmersal is the category reference on guard locking (AZM) and washdown (NDR IP69K). On 22 mm e-stops without the IP69K requirement, A22E delivers equivalent direct opening per IEC 60947-5-5 with broader reset options (turn, pull, key) and Push-In Plus wiring that Schmersal doesn't ship. Response: "On washdown keep Schmersal NDR — we're not arguing. On the other 80 % of your e-stops the spec delta is the terminal, the reset variant range, and the contact options. That's where A22E wins, and it takes the A4EG, the G9SX, and the rest of the Omron safety chain with it."
• "IDEC XW is cheaper and we already buy IDEC switches." (Surfaces in any panel-builder account where IDEC is the incumbent for HW selector switches.) → Price on a bare 2NC 22 mm e-stop is tight. The commercial opening is Push-In Plus labour time on build, plus the A4EG + G9SX bundle that IDEC can't match. Response: "On a naked e-stop the unit price is within a few euros. On a panel with 12 stations, A22NE-PD saves 60 seconds of wiring per station and passes your torque-check audit with zero screwdriver touches. Run the labour delta through your panel-builder billing rate."
• "Direct opening is direct opening — what's the actual safety difference?" (Asked by experienced safety-file writers who know EN ISO 13850 and IEC 60947-5-5.) → None at the standalone-device level. All three are Zwangsöffnung certified. The differentiation is at the safety-circuit level — how the e-stop pairs with the controller to achieve PL e SIL 3. Response: "You're right, at the device level it's a draw. Where we diverge is upstream: A22E + A4EG → G9SX-GS gives you one SISTEMA input block, one TÜV SÜD certificate family, one vendor on your safety file. If your current mix is IDEC + Pilz + Schmersal that's three certificates and three support contracts for the same circuit."
• "We need IP69K for this food line." (Common in dairy, meat, beverage DACH customers — Migros, Emmi, Nestlé, Hochdorf, Hipp.) → Concede IP69K to Schmersal NDRZ50RT or specify the Omron A22NE-…-69K variant — but the Omron IP69K variant has reduced contact / LED combinations. Response: "For the CIP (cleaning in place) zones use Schmersal NDR or A22NE-69K. For the dry-side panels on the same line use A22NE-PD with Push-In Plus. Don't standardise on IP69K across a whole plant when 60 % of the panels never see a washdown lance — you're paying for rating you don't use."
• "The A4EG grip feels heavier than our Schmersal ZSD." (Possible real feedback from operators familiar with ZSD's graduated spring.) → A4EG enable force is specified at max 14 N at OF1, holding force approx 8 N — within ergonomic grip-strength norms for an 8-hour shift (ISO 11228-3 / EN 1005). The heavier "panic grip" force (max 40 N at OF2) is by design — it's the safety boundary that prevents an unconscious hand-clench from triggering panic stop. Response: "The A4EG is engineered around a documented enable force and a documented panic force with two click transitions. That's the feel your operators learn to rely on. If the specific operator prefers the ZSD graduation, we lose that one — but on a fleet across the plant, the click-feel is what reduces teach errors."
• "We're a Pilz house — the safety controller side is their territory." (Real in Baden-Württemberg and parts of Austria.) → G9SX-GS is a direct functional competitor to Pilz PNOZmulti for enabling-circuit supervision, at typically lower cost. The opening is not to rip out Pilz — it's to specify Omron on the new project where Pilz hasn't locked in yet. Response: "Keep Pilz where it's already designed-in. On the next cell or the next retrofit, A22E + A4EG + G9SX goes in as a set, documented against one TÜV certificate. Once the first cell is running, the second specification decision becomes a commercial comparison, not a defensive one."

The switch story

Two switch stories, both selling the Omron safety-command ecosystem rather than a single SKU.

Story one: the Push-In Plus wiring time saving. Any DACH panel-builder who quotes labour at CHF 80–140/h, building cabinets with more than six e-stop stations, is carrying screw-terminal torque-check time as unreimbursed overhead. A22NE-PD drops that. Pair the switch with NX-SID safety input cards on an NX1P safety PLC and the whole e-stop-to-logic path is screw-terminal-free. The demo is simple: hand the procurement manager a ferruled 0.75 mm² wire and an A22NE-PD, time the insertion, hand them a screwdriver and an IDEC XW1E, time that. On one station the delta is 30 seconds. On a 20-station panel it's a 10-minute saving plus a zero torque-audit cost.

Story two: the robot-cell safety-chain bundle. Any customer buying an industrial-robot cell — from Stäubli, Kuka, Universal Robots, Yaskawa or ABB — needs an enabling-grip device for teach mode (ZBE, Zustimmungsbaustein) and a door-status e-stop and a safety-controller that distinguishes normal-mode from teach-mode. The Omron bundle: A22E on the door, D40A / D4NS for door status, A4EG as the enabling grip on the teach pendant, A22TK as the key-operated mode selector, and G9SX-GS as the safety guard switching unit that interprets all of them. One vendor, one TÜV SÜD certificate family, one wiring diagram in the user manual, one spare-parts order. The competitor equivalent is Pilz PSENmag + Pilz PIT enabling grip + Pilz PNOZmulti, or Schmersal AZM + ZSD + PROTECT PSC1. Both work, both cost more, and both require a multi-vendor SISTEMA entry.

Where the customer is committed to Pilz logic, or the customer is a Nestlé/Emmi washdown plant standardised on Schmersal — concede. Don't force the bundle into an account that will re-do it next project anyway. Spec Omron A22E on the non-safety command side and get the foot in the door for next refresh.

Application examples

1. Robot-cell teach-pendant (automotive BiW, Stäubli / Kuka / ABB cell) — A4EG-BE2R041 on the pendant (2 enable + 2NC e-stop) wired into G9SX-GS, with A22TK key-switch for normal/teach mode selection and A22E-M-02 on the cell door. PL d / PL e at the circuit level per ISO 13849-1.
2. CNC machining-centre operator station — A22NE-MP-PD02 (2NC Push-In Plus) on the operator panel, LED illumination, wired to G9SX. Direct replacement for an incumbent IDEC XW1E.
3. Press brake / stamping press operator control — A22E-M-01B (1NC, key-release) so the press doesn't re-arm after e-stop without a supervisor key. EN ISO 13850 + EN 692 (mechanical presses) compliant.
4. Packaging-line operator stations (Bosch, Syntegon, Marchesini) — A22NE-PD-03 (3NC Push-In Plus) at each station; suits 3-channel safety circuit where the third NC is a diagnostic back-check into the PLC.
5. Food/beverage line in washdown zone (Hochdorf, Emmi, Nestlé Kempttal) — either A22NE-…-69K (IP69K) where the Omron IP69K contact/LED combination fits, or concede to Schmersal NDRZ50RT + EF220.1. Do not specify a standard A22E here.
6. Pharma clean-room filler / isolator (Roche, Novartis) — A22NE-PD02 in the dry-side panel, A22NE-…-69K or Schmersal NDR on the in-chamber wash-down side.
7. AGV / AMR operator panel (intralogistics, Swisslog / Kardex customers) — A22E-M-02 mushroom head on each side of the AMR plus one on the charging dock; wired to the mobile safety PLC.
8. Conveyor e-stop cable-pull fallback station — A22E-M-02 as the reset station on conveyor sections, working alongside a pull-wire e-stop (not this card's product — referenced for wiring context).
9. Collaborative-robot cell with set-up mode (UR, OMRON TM) — A4EG-C000041 as the enabling grip during manual-guide teach, A22E on the cell perimeter; G9SX-GS distinguishes normal-mode (door-closed auto) from teach-mode (enabling grip held at Pos 2).
10. Laser / plasma cutting machinery — A22E-M-02 red mushroom, key-reset variant, plus A22TK key-selector for cutter-mode enable. EN ISO 13850 + IEC 60825 (laser safety) chain.
11. AGV charging station enclosure — A22NE-PD02 with Push-In Plus; Swiss panel-builder time saving scales with fleet size.
12. Intralogistics sorter main-panel e-stop cascade — multiple A22E-M-02 in series on a single G9SX channel, each with LED pilot feedback to the control-room HMI.

Sources

• Omron A4EG datasheet — CSM_A4EG_DS_E_9_1, fetched 2026-04-20 from https://files.omron.eu/downloads/latest/datasheet/en/c142_a4eg_datasheet_en.pdf. Used for: ordering table (p. 2), certified standard ratings and AC-15/DC-13 ratings (p. 3), characteristics (IP, life, temperature, shock) (p. 4), operating force and stroke (p. 5), three-position operation logic (p. 5).
• Omron A22E / A22NE-P / A22NE-PD product page — https://industrial.omron.eu/en/products/a22ea22ne-pa22ne-pd, fetched 2026-04-20. Used for: contact combinations, panel-cutout sizes, IP65/IP67, IP69K suffix, reset mechanism options, Push-In Plus terminals, image URL (tinifycdn).
• Omron A22NE datasheet — https://files.omron.eu/downloads/latest/datasheet/en/a263_a22ne_emergency_stop_push_button_switches_datasheet_en.pdf referenced but not fully parsed within the time budget (PDF size exceeded fetch limit). AC-15 1.5 A / 250 V and AC-12 3 A / 250 V figures cited from the search-engine summary of this datasheet — verify before quoting in writing to a customer.
• IDEC XA/XW EMO datasheet & product pages — https://us.idec.com/idec-us/en/USD/medias/IDEC-XA-XW-EMO-Datasheet.pdf (redirect to idec.com/en-us during fetch), plus https://us.idec.com/idec-us/en/USD/Switches-and-Pushbuttons/Emergency-Stop-Switches/XW-22mm-Estop/…. Used for: 22 mm / 16 mm cutout, 1–4NC + 1–2NO contact options, "safe break action," IP65/IP67, IEC 60947-5-5 + 60947-5-1 certification, minimum 5 V / 1 mA load. Local HTML file pdfs/other-competitors/idec-xw-estop-specs.html (805 KB) exists and was grep-scanned but not fully parsed within time budget.
• Schmersal NDR / NDRZ50RT specifications — https://cdn.automationdirect.com/static/specs/schmersalestop.pdf (AutomationDirect reseller re-issue of Schmersal product data, fetched 2026-04-20). Used for: 22.3 mm mounting, ABS dome, 50 g, IP67 + IP69K, −25 to +80 °C, mechanical life 100 000, EN 60947-5-1 / IEC 60947-1 compliance, EF contact-block table (EF220.1, EF303.1, etc., including which blocks are certified for e-stop use and which are not).
• Schmersal ZSD series — https://products.schmersal.com/en_IO/zsd-1000074795.html and https://www.comoso.com/brands/schmersal/machine-safety/control-devices-with-safety-function/zsd-enabling-pendant-switch. Used for: three-position logic, ZSD5 2 NO / ZSD6 3 NO + pushbutton, ANSI/RIA R15.06-1999 compliance, plastic housing.
• Objection research — Electrician Talk thread on pushbutton brand preferences (quote "100 % Schmersal otherwise" observed), PLCtalk thread "E stop switch — best design" (IDEC XW mentioned positively by user after multi-year use), Omron / Schmersal / IDEC marketing collateral cross-read. Not all forum snapshots stored.

Open questions

• A22E operating temperature range per SKU. The captured A22E EU product page and datasheet metadata did not return an explicit operating-temperature range within the time budget. Confirm −25 to +65 °C (typical Omron command-device range) with product management before quoting to a cold-storage or outdoor-machinery customer.
• A22E mechanical life and electrical life figures. Not captured in the time budget. Pull from the master A22NE datasheet PDF on day one.
• A22NE-69K (IP69K variant) contact / LED matrix. The EU product page notes "IP69K models do not support 25mm diameter" but doesn't enumerate which contact combinations and LED colours are available in IP69K. Need the full IP69K sub-family matrix before quoting against Schmersal NDR in a food / pharma account.
• Exact DACH list-price delta. A22E-M-02 vs IDEC XW1E-BV402MFR vs Schmersal NDRZ50RT + EF220.1 — pull from Omron price matrix day one. Similarly A4EG-C000041 vs Schmersal ZSD5.
• PL / SIL achievable with G9SX-GS + A4EG + A22E. The datasheet direct-opening certification is at device level; the circuit-level PL e / SIL 3 claim requires the G9SX-GS wiring architecture. Get the standard "Omron Safety Circuit Example" PDF from Omron Safety Services Centre for SISTEMA reference.
• Push-In Plus torque and pull-out test data. Sales claim "saves 60 % wiring time" needs a citable lab figure for a machine-builder audit. Ask product management for the internal Push-In Plus vs screw-terminal benchmark.
• UL / cULus status per SKU for A22E and A22NE. A4EG is explicitly UL-filed (E76675); for A22E family the captured sources do not enumerate UL file numbers per SKU. Confirm before quoting North-America-destined OEM machinery exported from DACH.
• Swiss distribution depth. A4EG-C000041 next-day availability at Distrelec CH and Conrad CH — confirm day one and map into a Swiss-specific availability annex.