Electrical relay suppliers provide different types of relays large and small for all sorts of applications, from automotive to household to industrial. For commercial and industrial uses, electrical relays provide many advantages by creating more efficiency or decreasing long-term costs.

But what are they? What are so many electrical relay manufacturers selling that can help your business? This guide will serve as a beginner's tutorial and explain the electrical relays basics that you need to form an idea of what they can do for your operations. Go through the steps below to learn about:

1. What electrical relays are

2. How industrial relays work

3. How the products of industrial relay providers can benefit your business

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn the basics of what electric relays are

In essence, an electrical relay is an on/off switch; it functions as a medium for enabling or disabling electrical current flowing to equipment. You can install voltage relays in various industries to control power levels either for safety cut-off purposes or for maintaining schedules or cycles for machinery. Because they work automatically according to the electric impulses they receive, they don't require monitoring.

I recommend: Check out more detailed information about electric relays by going through Relay Basics, which provides a specific example for discussion purposes. You can also try All About Circuits, which will cover how relays function.

Discover more about how industrial relays work

Electric relays are useful because they allow a small amount of current to transfer a much larger amount. A relay in its dormant state is open; a small rod or arm inside the relay is disconnected from the transmitter, meaning power will not flow. A small electric impulse is sent to the relay, causing the arm to switch over and connect with the transmitter. This completes a circuit through which a much larger amount of power can then flow until the arm is switched back to its open position.

I recommend: Gain further knowledge of how voltage relays work by perusing HowStuffWorks.com and eSSORTMENT. Both supply the reader with details about the workings of relays along with their parts and some common uses.

Find out about the applications of the industrial relay

One of the primary applications for electrical industrial relays is in heating, venting and air conditioning (HVAC). Because these systems are often powering on and off in cycles, relays help control the continually changing flow of power. Voltage relays are also useful in various other industries with heavy machinery and systems, including manufacturing and processing plants, as well as in smaller applications like automobiles.

I recommend: Look at Maxim and HVAC Relays for some information about industrial relays. Maxim provides some examples for the advantages and disadvantages, and HVAC gives you more specific information about using relays for HVAC systems and equipment.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Although this guide gives you a quick overview of electrical relays basics, you'll need to know things like the kind of power you draw and how much you need, including voltage and amperage. Only then can you decide what kind of relays would work best.

Electric relays are essentially electrical amplifiers with the ability to control an output circuit of greater voltage than the input circuit. Electrical relay manufacturers provide electrical relays for a variety of industrial applications. Voltage relays are available for many uses, including:

1. Time delay electrical relay

2. Overload protection relay

3. Solid state contactor relays for machinery requiring frequent on/off cycles

General purpose industrial relays are available in solid state, card, and ice cube relay designs, and are manufactured to handle varying amp levels. When searching online for electrical relay suppliers, know your options for purchasing new electric relays. If you're looking for replacement relays or to stock up on relays you currently use, it's helpful to know the part number and manufacturer you're looking for if you don't know the exact specifications of your relay. Even if they don't have the same product in stock, electrical relay manufacturers will be able to direct you to a sufficient substitute.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase solid state industrial relays

Solid state voltage relays are non-contact relays utilizing semiconductors. They are useful in applications that require high-frequency and high-speed operations such as electric heaters and small electric motors.

I recommend: Industrial relay provider Omron offers a selection of solid state relays. Browse their heater control, three-phase motors and socket style solid state relays.

Program your electronics with a timer delay relay

Timer relays are useful when you want an electrical operation to start after a time delay. Timer relays incorporate mechanical clockwork to allow time delay lengths from fractions of seconds to multiple hours. Specify the delay period on the timer itself and alter it if your needs change.

I recommend: Shop the online catalog of AutomationDirect for time delay electrical relays from multiple manufacturers. They also sell general purpose electrical relays, and all relays include LED indicators for simplified troubleshooting.

Buy specialty relays for non-standard electrical applications

If you're looking for electrical relays to use in aerospace applications or in extreme temperatures, standard Internet searches for electric relay parts may not be fruitful. However, there are electrical relay manufacturers out there who provide relays for specialty applications. Look for a provider specializing in relays for military purposes, or one that supplies ultraminiature parts.

I recommend: Teledyne Relays provides electrical relays for a wide variety of applications, including commercial aviation, space and heating and lighting. Use their search tool to enter the specifications of the relay you're looking for and find the product in their inventory that fulfills your needs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Purchase a relay tester to test the pickup level, time and coordination of ground-fault circuits. One relay tester can often monitor and test multiple electric relays.

Electrical relay manufacturers provide all kinds or products, but you first have to know what it is you need. Do you want alternate or direct current relays? Homing or differential? What rating do you need? What kind of load must it handle? Understanding some of the terms related to relays and electricity in general will help you better choose the equipment you want for your business.

This guide will take you through some of the terms and phrases associated with industrial relays and their functions. Pick up some of the necessary knowledge and get the products you need in a quicker, more efficient manner by knowing what to ask and tell electrical relay suppliers. Learn about:

1. The many types of electric relays

2. Terms directly pertaining or related to voltage relays

3. General electricity terms to augment your industrial relay knowledge

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know classification terminology to talk to manufacturers of electrical relays

You'll need at least a little knowledge of what your system requires. Be aware of things like whether the source of current for each relay is alternating or direct. Consider whether you need safety relays for emergency cut-off of power or time-operated relays for the routine cycling of energy to industrial machines or equipment. Each of these necessitates a different type of relay.

I recommend: Start with an in-depth examination of types of electrical relays key terms and associated information from Leach International, then add to your knowledge with explanations of relay categories, along with data about circuit breakers, by going to Electrical & Electronics.

Pick up related information on industrial relays

There's more to knowing about relays than just what kinds exist. Learn about their capabilities and characteristics, such as the current they transmit. For instance, inrush current is the maximum current at the initial contact, and pull-in voltage is the typical current of a given relay.

I recommend: Learn more details about electric relays and their operational terms by checking out The Relay Company; you can find many explanations of relay components and operations there. You can also pick up other specialty relay terms by going through CableOrganizer.com.

Add general electrical terms to your list or voltage relays dictionary

Of course, the point of relays is to transmit electricity, and they are bound by all the same rules as any electrical conduit or device. Having some information regarding electricity in general can be a benefit. For example, an amp is the measurement of current flowing past a point in one second, whereas a watt is the amount of energy consumed in one second.

I recommend: Round out your electrical relays knowledge with some general terms explained at NoOutage.com, which provides a glossary. Get further related information from Electrical Definitions, where an even more comprehensive list can give you a fuller education in electricity.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Use the information you've gleaned from this guide and its resources before ever contacting industrial relay providers. That way, you will be more able to communicate with your supplier, simplifying the process.