The (OF) Operating Force is the typical amount of force required to get the moving contact to “snap” over to the NO contact. The point at which the contact will snap over is called the Operating Position (OP). The Operate Time is the time it takes for the snap action mechanism to achieve OP. The Release Time is the time it takes for the snap action mechanism to achieve RP. If arcing is present, then these characteristics have a significant impact on prolonging the switch contact's lifetime. One benefit of the snap switch design is that it keeps this timeframe as short as possible.