Electrical Control Relays

Electrical control relays help you avoid production delays
By Mike Tracy Current control relays guard against disruption in the electricity powering your equipment and allow you to manage your electrical usage to guarantee smooth operations. And keeping the power flowing and machinery running is crucial to a successful business.

Electrical relays monitor and protect by constantly checking the current, frequency or voltage of your electrical system. The two basic purposes for electrical control relays are: to detect defective lines, apparatus or other power malfunctions and to control current and verify conditions in the power system. Protective relays serve the first function; monitoring relays the second.

Today most models of electrical control relays are programmable and monitored through a personal computer. As you plan your purchase of electric relays, be sure to take the following steps:

1. Investigate the key features of different industrial control relays.

2. Select relays that offer user-friendly features.

3. Research your business needs for electrical controls.

Determine the key features of electrical relays

Protective and monitoring electrical controls function in several different ways: sensing overcurrent, undercurrent, phase disruption or differential changes. Your electrical control relay needs depend on your machinery and system configuration.
Try:  AutomationDirect.com carries several models of control relays, including ice cube, plug-in, electromechanical and solid state. Check the specifications and applications of each type of relay to compare the features. You can find different relays by maker Smart Relays at Electrical Control Distributors. Compare your findings to note the differences in parameters, styles and prices.

Evaluate the user-friendly features of industrial electrical control relays

Suppliers stock electrical controls with several user-friendly features. Look for devices with automatic reset, visual readout, programmable time delay and latching controls. A remote control relay allows you to monitor and service the system through your personal computer.
Try:  Check the Omron online catalog for electrical relays for control panels. They also carry solid state, plug in, and special purpose devices. Detrol Controls offers control relays with several mounting options including panel, bracket, socket and PC terminal. The web page includes sizes, specifications and additional details for each relay.

Purchase the right electrical control relays for your business application

Online catalogs contain information on the features and specifications of the wide variety of electrical control relays. Find listings for the ones that fit your needs from several distributors and compare them. Choose the devices that match your business applications.
Try:  Siemens offers a variety of both protection relays and monitoring relays and a helpful video on substation solutions at its website. Broyce Control supplies four models of time delay relay, including dual and multifunction devices. They also have overvoltage control relays and three-phase relays to monitor voltage phases.

• Contact electrical control relay manufacturers and suppliers about free product trials and samples.