This section provides an overview for power relays as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 28 power relay manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked power relay companies as of June, 2023: 1.Industrial Electric Machinery, 2.NOARK Electric North America, 3.WAGO.
Table of Contents
Power relays are relay components capable of carrying a current greater than 3A.
Relays can be roughly classified into two types: contact relays and non-contact relays, and power relays are contact relays. Power relays are of robust construction to withstand large currents, as they are expected to carry larger currents than general control relays.
Because of their characteristics, power relays are sometimes used as relays for safety circuits when an abnormally large current flows in a circuit.
Power relays are one of the most widely used components in industry.
The following are examples of power relay applications:
Power relays are composed of terminals, contacts, and electromagnetic coils.
The terminal is the part that connects to the wiring. In many cases, Power Relays are fixed to the wiring by solder wear. In other cases, Power Relays are mounted on a terminal block unit and the wiring is connected to round terminals or other terminals that have been processed.
Contacts are driving components that provide a path for electricity. There are larger and more numerous contacts with a higher current application.
To reduce electrical resistance, silver alloys and gold are used for contacts. Silver alloys are widely used because of their low electrical resistance. Gold alloys are more resistant to oxidation than silver alloys, but they have a lower melting point and are more expensive, making them suitable for small loads.
There are two types of contacts in power relays: movable contacts and fixed contacts. Fixed contacts are firmly fixed to the casing or other components. The movable contacts are driven together with the movable iron strip, and when they make contact with the fixed contacts, they conduct electricity.
The electromagnetic coil is a component that drives the movable iron strip by electromagnetic force. The movable iron strip has a movable contact point, which is brought into contact with the fixed contact point by the electromagnetic force of the electromagnetic coil. When the electromagnetic coil is de-energized, the contacts are pulled apart or in contact with each other by a spring.
Power relays are broadly classified into DC-driven relays and AC-driven relays.
DC-driven relays are power relays in which the coil is driven by a DC power source. DC power sources are resistant to inductive voltages and are characterized by stable operation even at low voltages. The relay coil is often connected to a diode to prevent reverse current.
The standards include 5 VDC, 12 VDC, 24 VDC, etc., which are used according to the intended use. A 24V power supply with a higher voltage is used when the transmission distance is long or when a relay circuit is built in a control panel. For intrinsically safe explosion-proof circuits, 12 VDC, 5 VDC, etc. are used.
The AC drive is a power relay whose coil is driven by an AC power source. The commercial power supply is AC power and can be used directly, eliminating the need for a power supply required for the DC version.
Coil voltages of 100 VAC or 200 VAC are used; AC400 V control circuits are rarely used due to the difficulty of maintaining isolation distances.
Power relays are mechanically actuated by electromagnetic forces and have a limited life span. The life expectancy in terms of number of operations is about several hundred thousand times.
If the life is exceeded or excessive shocks are applied, the following failures can occur:
1. Coil Disconnection
This is a failure in which the electromagnetic coil in the power relay is disconnected. The coil disconnection causes all contacts to cease operation. This failure is relatively easy to detect because there is no sound of the contacts operating.
2. Welding
This is a failure that occurs when excessive current flows through the power relay, causing the contacts to weld together and not open. Diagnosis is made by switching the relay on and off and checking the continuity of the contacts.
3. Inoperative Contacts
This is a malfunction in which the relay contacts become frayed or dirty, resulting in a loss of electrical continuity. The contacts remain open without shorting. Diagnose by checking continuity and voltage, as in the case of welding.
4. Short-Circuiting of Coils
This is a failure that occurs when the varnish on the electromagnetic coil peels off, resulting in a short circuit. When the electromagnetic coil is energized, the control power supply itself is tripped, and this is identified.
Since control circuits often have multiple power relays connected in parallel, it may take some time to detect the fault.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Accele Electronics, Inc. is based in Santa Fe Springs, California. Accele has a 30 year history as a manufacturer and distributor of automotive technology solutions, also offering services such as, installation and support throughout its 30+ year history. Example products include LCD monitors, headrest monitors, mirror monitors, drive and park sensors, video recording and camera kits and accessories, A/V switchers, RV camera systems, cables, lighting, HUD, security systems, fuses and circuits, relays, bus and coach amenities, as well as comfort and convenience items.
Motor Protection Electronics, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is located in Apopka, Florida. The company is a manufacturer and designer of industrial controls for several industries including water and wastewater industries to customers around the United States through its distributors. Since its founding, the company has designed and manufactured all parts at its company headquarters in Apopka, Florida. The company’s 10 product segments include phase and voltage monitors, alternators, time delay relays, and intrinsically safe controls.
NOARK is based in Pomona, California, and is a global manufacturer of low-voltage electrical components for industrial applications. NOARK specializes in motor controls and protection for original equipment and manufacturers with products covered by five-year limited warranties. NOARK parts are used in numerous solutions such as HVAC and refrigeration, industrial food equipment, panel builders, digital storage, and engine generators. NOARK’s main product lines include low-voltage power circuit breakers, molded case circuit breakers, miniature circuit breakers, overload relays, and circuit control devices.
Amperite Co., through OlympicControls Corp., was founded in 1968 with roots going back to 1922. The company serves military and industrial market segments with motor controls, circuit controls, alarms, and other systems. The company offers four specific, focused business units that maintain identities in separate end-user applications: Amperite Co., OlympicControls Relays, T-Bar Relays, switches, and Fuel Pumps. Amperite manufactures time delay relays, flashers, and controlling devices. OlympicControls offers customized products manufactured to customer specifications. T-Bar Relays serves OEMs and customers such as Raytheon and Learjet. Fuel Pumps serve military and heavy-duty trucks.
L.A. Woolley Electric, Inc. (L.A. Woolley) was founded in Buffalo, New York in 1916 as a supply distributor to serve the industrial and commercial marketplace. The company offers products from such manufacturers as Acme, Mersen, Pass & Seymor, and Wago. The company specializes in control and panel board products, transformers, terminal blocks, wiring accessories, as well as hazardous location products. The company's in-house sales team also support customers in selecting, ordering, and receiving the correct order.
Industrial Electric Machinery, also known as IEM, was originally founded in 1988 as Northwest Motor Service. IEM serves industrial customers with products and services including motors, relays, transformers, UPS batteries, and more. IEM offers 4 primary product categories: Controls such as low voltage VFDs and transformers, gearboxes & couplings, motors, and power distribution including MCCs and automatic transfer switches. IEM also offers field service including 24/7 availability for troubleshooting, analysis, calibration, field testing, and repairs. Additional services such as training courses and warehousing of spare equipment is also available.
Governors America Corp, also known as GAC, was founded in 1986 and based in Agawam, Massachusetts. GAC is a vertically integrated global distributor of engine control products. GAC serves industries including power generation, mining, transportation, heavy equipment, and marine industries and is AS9100:D and ISO 9001:2015 certified. GAC products are in categories such as actuators, speed controllers, gaseous fuel and ignition management systems, generators, and accessories. GAC’s product design capabilities include software design, electronic component design, as well as mechanical design.
Struthers-Dunn is headquartered in Timmonsville, South Carolina, and was established in 1923, making it one of the oldest relay manufacturers in the world. The company’s relays and related electrical components are utilized in traffic signals, power generation, factory automation, construction, and water treatment applications. The company’s product lines primarily consist of relays such as general purpose, motor, timer, and sequencing relays. Other products include accessories and special-purpose relays for super high voltage applications such as gas turbine power plants.
Gainesville Industrial Electric Co. (GIE) was founded in 1959 in Gainesville, Georgia, where it remains today. GIE is an independent, EASA-approved, motor repairer and distributor. GIE offers electric motors from Marathon and GE, FPS Pumps, Barlow Pumps, Gould Pumps, gearboxes from Hub City Gearboxes and Bearings and Motovario Gearboxes and Motors, and variable frequency drives and inverters from Mitsubishi Inverters and TECO Westinghouse. GIE also offers repair services and is a factory authorized warranty center.
Hybrid Electronics is a global distribution specialist of electronic components, with access to over 50 million unique components. Among the markets HE serves are the aerospace, automotive, communications, defense, industrial, medical, national security, and test & measurement industries. In addition to components, HE also provides quality and compliance testing, counterfeit detection, upscreening, and other forms of quality control. Examples of component subtypes that HE offers include ICs, batteries, capacitors, semiconductor products, sensors, circuit protection, interconnectors, filters, optoelectronics, relays, switches, power supplies, and cables and cable assemblies.
United Electrical Distributors (UED) was founded in 19855 and is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. UED is a distributor and installer of electrical supplies. Categories of UED products include LED lighting, CADWELD welded electrical connection molds, EATON panelboards, and “starters, contractors, controls.” LED lighting includes indoor LED lighting and outdoor LED lighting. CADWELD welded electrical connection molds includes molds for electrical connects and busbars. Surge protection devices include protectors, surge breakers, and whole house designs.
Founded in San Clemente, California in 1997, NetSource Technology, Inc. is an independent stocking distributor of electronic components and global procurement services, providing comprehensive supply chain solutions to OEMs and contract manufacturers worldwide. NetSource Technology serves the aerospace, automotive, IoT, medical, mobile device, and telecommunications industries and related companies. NetSource Technology specializes in locating hard-to-find, obsolete, end-of-life and highly allocated components with long lead times, supporting customers throughout the complete supply chain lifecycle.
Schneider Electric S.E. is headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, France, and has been operating since 1836. Schneider Electric provides a number of products and services including electrical car charging, energy management software, surge protection devices, load banks, servers and HMIs, valve and valve actuators, feeder automation, grid automation, and SCADA software products, data center cooling and software, home automation and security, light switches, motion control and robotics, signaling units, solar and energy storage, RFID systems, as well as other hardware, services, and software.
WAGO was founded in Minden in 1951 in then West Germany. WAGO manufacturers components for the automotive, digital lant, elevator and escalator, energy, intralogistics, lighting, marine & offshore, mechanical engineering, and railway systems industries. WAGO produces, electrical interconnections such as rail mount terminal blocks, wire connectors, PCB interconnects, pluggable connection systems, panel feedthrough connections, and EMC shielding. Other types of products include relays, protection devices, fieldbus couplers, ethernet switches, touch panels, edge devices, and wireless devices.
MPI was founded in 1999 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. MPI is a designer, engineer, and manufacturer for heaters, sensors, controllers, relays, and other related products. MPI’s product categories include cartridge heaters, band heaters, strip heaters, coil & cable heaters, melt pressure products, drum heaters, heated hose, heater accessories, tubular heaters, immersion/process heaters, silicone/flexible heaters, thermocouples, RTDs, temperature controllers, linear transducers, cast-in heaters, mercury contractor relays, Watlow thermocouples/RTDs, and other products including various controllers and accessories.
MOD-TRONIC Instruments Limited was established in 1972 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. MTis a distributor of industrial sensors, transducers, heaters, controls, and instrumentation, primarily made in the USA as well as Japan, Switzerland, and Germany. MT’s customers are primarily in the aerospace, building automation, manufacturing, medical, military, oil and gas, and water treatment industries but also serves individuals. MT offers an above industry standard 5-year warranty and technical support on every product sold.
Wieland Electric is headquartered in Hamberg Germany and was founded in 1910. Weiland Electric is a manufacturer of electrical connection and industrial automation products used in conveying, logistics, horticulture, lighting, machine building & safety, and energy industries. Wieland Electric’s product categories include active industrial products, passive industrial products, modular wiring systems, power distribution for electric vehicles, integrated lighting & building solutions, and indoor interconnect products such as metal fabrication, 3D printing for prototyping, electrical design, and box build fabrication.
Panasonic Industry Europe is the European branch of Panasonic, a global manufacturer of electronics and houseware, originally founded in 1918. Panasonic Industry Europe manufactures in 4 categories: components, devices, energy & building, and automation devices & solutions. Components include relays, capacitors, resistors, sensors, switches, connectors, couplers. Devices include wireless connectivity, e-bike systems, motors, compressors, thermal solutions, GPS antennas, as well as electronic materials. Energy & building includes batteries, fuel cells, solar sells, power tools, and home IoT. Automation devices & solutions include sensors for factory automation, industrial motors, laser welding, and more.
OMRON Electronic Components Europe is the European division of OMRON Corporation, which is based in Kyoto, Japan, and has head offices around the world. The European division has its own development and manufacturing facilities providing local customer support provided in all European countries. The European division produces PCBs and other components for the eSports, alternative energy, automated test equipment, and entertainment industries. The company’s four primary product divisions are relays, switches, connectors, and sensors including flow sensors and IoT sensors.
Wenzhou DAQUAN Electric Co., Ltd was founded in 1996 in Wenzhou, China. The company is an electrical products manufacturer of relays, relay sockets, timers, meters, and related components to customers both in and outside of China and serves both home appliance customers as well as industrial customers in manufacturing and other industries. The company has 5 major product segments including relays, timers, meters, circuit breakers, and switches. The company also sells various tools, alarm devices, and product accessories.
Celduc Inc. through Celduc Transfo was founded in 1960 as a manufacturer of transformers. Celduc Inc. is based in, France. Celduc Inc. was officially created in 2020 and headquartered in Centerport, New York. Celduc creates electronics and customized products for industries including railway, plastic, packaging, medical, and electronics. Celduc’s main product lines include solid state relays, magnetic proximity sensors, reed relays & switches, and customized products. Customized products are versions of other products adapted for use in industries with special needs such as nuclear power, aircraft, and agriculture.
Ranking as of June 2023 in United States of America
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Industrial Electric Machinery | 8.3% |
2 | NOARK Electric North America | 8.3% |
3 | WAGO | 6.6% |
4 | GOODSKY | 6.6% |
5 | Wieland Electric Inc. | 5% |
6 | Motor Protection Electronics (MPE) | 5% |
7 | Gruner | 4.1% |
8 | United Electrical Distributors, UED | 4.1% |
9 | OMRON Electronic Components | 4.1% |
10 | L. A. Woolley Electric, Inc. | 4.1% |
11 | AEI | 4.1% |
12 | Amperite Co. | 4.1% |
13 | Hybrid Electronics | 4.1% |
14 | Celduc Inc. | 3.3% |
15 | Tianbo Electronics | 3.3% |
16 | Hengstler | 3.3% |
17 | Panasonic Industry Europe | 2.5% |
18 | Wenzhou DAQUAN Electric | 2.5% |
19 | Gainesville Industrial Electric Co. | 2.5% |
20 | Hsin Da Precision | 2.5% |
21 | HKE | 1.7% |
22 | Struthers-Dunn, Inc. | 1.7% |
23 | Morheat Inc. | 1.7% |
24 | Mod-Tronic Instruments Limited | 1.7% |
25 | Governors America Corp. (GAC) | 1.7% |
26 | Schneider Electric | 1.7% |
27 | NetSource Technology, Inc. | 0.8% |
28 | Zhejiang Fanhar Electronics | 0.8% |
Ranking as of June 2023 Globally
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Wieland Electric Inc. | 8.1% |
2 | NOARK Electric North America | 7% |
3 | Hsin Da Precision | 7% |
4 | GOODSKY | 6.6% |
5 | Industrial Electric Machinery | 6.6% |
6 | Motor Protection Electronics (MPE) | 5.8% |
7 | L. A. Woolley Electric, Inc. | 5.4% |
8 | Tianbo Electronics | 5% |
9 | Hybrid Electronics | 5% |
10 | Hengstler | 5% |
11 | Amperite Co. | 4.7% |
12 | AEI | 4.7% |
13 | Gainesville Industrial Electric Co. | 4.3% |
14 | WAGO | 3.5% |
15 | OMRON Electronic Components | 2.7% |
16 | Gruner | 2.7% |
17 | United Electrical Distributors, UED | 2.3% |
18 | Celduc Inc. | 2.3% |
19 | Wenzhou DAQUAN Electric | 1.9% |
20 | Governors America Corp. (GAC) | 1.6% |
21 | Struthers-Dunn, Inc. | 1.2% |
22 | Panasonic Industry Europe | 1.2% |
23 | Morheat Inc. | 1.2% |
24 | HKE | 1.2% |
25 | Schneider Electric | 0.8% |
26 | Mod-Tronic Instruments Limited | 0.8% |
27 | NetSource Technology, Inc. | 0.8% |
28 | Zhejiang Fanhar Electronics | 0.8% |
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the power relay page as of June 2023. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History