You can get real jaded in this job about new product releases. Once in a while, though, something really catches my eye. Last week, I got a release from Banner Engineering about, of all the prosaic things, an indicator light.
Now, I don't know how many of you have spent the amount of time I have wiring up indicator lights in Nema 12 and Nema 4 boxes...but it is a huge PITA and takes forever, since you have to cut knockouts (tougher in plastic than in metal, you betcha) and mount a terminal strip and relay panel, all so you can turn on a red light, or a green one, or an amber one. That's five knockouts, three relays, three lamps, with bezels and mounting hardware, one terminal strip and one box per indicator. Yuch!
Banner's new device (http://www.bannerengineering.com/ez-light)is a single lamp that turns red, green or amber as required, and comes supplied in its own stalk-type housing with euro-style waterproof connector. No box. No mess. Total installation time, 10% of what a box indicator would be.
Nice. Very Nice.