Contactors and Protection Relays
At Schneider Electric, our products and solutions cover the breadth of the industrial, infrastructure and building sectors, including everything from simple machines to complex process systems. As such, we offer a number of contactor and protection relays.
Applications of contactor relays
Contactor relays are commonly found in electrical motors, lighting applications, and motor starters. They are used to automate lights and electricity for industrial, commercial, and residential buildings. Moreover, Contactor relays can be found in mercury relays and mercury wetter relays as well.
How do contactors and relays work?
When an electromagnetic field is created, the armature feels a pull toward the fixed contact. Both contacts will stay in this state as long as the coil is not de-energized. When the coil is de-energized, the armature withdraws due to spring force. And then return to normalcy i.e. OFF position.
Why use a contactor
Contactors are used to manage high-powered applications. They are used to convert low voltage to a much higher current as well as turn on and off high voltage electrical equipment.
Motor switch-disconnectors and fuses: Distribution equipment commonly applied in a factory setting. It can be used for manual switching as well as breaking circuits to isolate the power supply.
Motor starter combinations: These can be used for housing the motor starter as well as the electrical protection components in a single enclosure.
What Do Surge Protection Devices Do?
Surge protection devices protect various electrical installations consisting of wiring and other electrical accessories from overvoltage or voltage surges. These surges originate externally or internally. The lack of electrical surge protection devices can damage your electronic equipment and cause costly downtime.
How Do You Choose the Correct Surge Protection?
While choosing the right electrical surge protection device, one should remember that it plays a crucial role in safeguarding expensive electronic equipment. In addition, electronic devices are becoming increasingly affordable in the market. One of the reasons for the price difference is the device's endurance and how long it functions well. Therefore, buyers should be careful while buying surge protection devices and familiarise themselves with the types and categories of these electrical surge protection devices.
Difference between contactor and relay
Contactors are for heavy-duty, high-current applications, while relays are for smaller-scale, low-voltage control and automation. It's crucial to choose the right device based on the specific requirements of your electrical system or application.
Different types of contactors
Reversing Contactor: Equipped with two interlocked contactors, allowing the reversal of motor direction. Commonly used in machinery with reversible motors.
Miniature Contactor: Compact contactors suitable for applications with limited space while maintaining robust switching capabilities.
AC-1 Contactor: Suitable for non-inductive or slightly inductive loads with low inrush current, such as resistive heating elements.
AC-2 Contactor: Used for starting slip-ring or squirrel-cage motors, capable of handling higher inrush currents compared to AC-1 contactors.
AC-3 Contactor: Designed for motor loads and applications where motors start with a full load. They can handle the high inrush current during motor startup.
AC-4 Contactor: Built for applications with a high number of switching operations, such as reversing motors. They are durable and can withstand frequent switching.
DC Contactor: Specifically designed for DC power circuits, including battery-powered systems. They ensure safe and efficient DC load control.
Our range of contactor relays includes a number of different options for a number of different needs, with electric over-current relays, electric overload relays and thermal overload relays all available.
