This section provides an overview for reed relays as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 16 reed relay manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked reed relay companies as of June, 2023: 1.Binsack Reedtechnik, 2.Littelfuse, 3.Schneider Electric.
Table of Contents
A reed relay is a relay that is activated by passing an electric current through a drive coil.
Since the magnetic field generated by the coil mechanically makes contact, there is very little leakage of current when the relay is not operating, compared to semiconductor switches.
Since the input and output sides are independent of each other and have no polarity, they are effective in reducing errors during installation. They are also resistant to pressure, have high insulation properties, are dustproof, and are not easily affected by outside gases.
Reed relays are used in a wide variety of electrical equipment. Although semiconductor relays are the current mainstream of relays, they are used in many applications where semiconductor relays are not suitable for use.
The following are environments in which reed relays are suitable for use:
A reed relay consists of a reed switch and a coil. The reed switch consists of a glass tube sealed with an inert gas and containing two leads with a gap between them. The reeds in the reed switch are made of a magnetic material that is subject to the force of a magnet, and the part of the reed switch where the reeds come in contact with each other when driven is fitted with a high current-carrying metal.
When a reed relay is driven, the magnetic field generated when current flows through the coil causes the two relays in the reed switch to come into contact with each other, thereby conducting electricity and functioning as a relay.
When a reed relay is driven, a magnetic field is generated by the coil. This may affect surrounding electronic components, so care must be taken in the mounting position and conditions of use. In addition, care must be taken to ensure proper usage of the circuit in which the reed relay is used, such as including a spark-elimination circuit and installing protection circuits for temporary high currents and reverse currents.
Relays have both electrical and mechanical life.
Electrical life is the life of a reed switch in a resistive load test, in which the reed switch is opened and closed by applying a load of rated voltage to the coil.
Specifically, it's the life of the relay depending on the volume of the load, the variety of the load, the frequency of opening and closing, and temperature conditions.
Mechanical life is the life in a no-load test where no load is applied. Relays are mechanical parts, and opening and closing them causes fatigue and wear of the parts themselves. Relay life also differs depending on the environment in which the relay is used, such as temperature conditions and cases in which a load greater than the coil's rated voltage is applied.
The following precautions must be taken when using reed relays:
Since the lead portion of the relay coil is sealed in a glass tube, cleaning does not degrade the characteristics of it. However, when cleaning the product, be sure to use a dedicated cleaner.
Magnetic fields generated by relay coils have an effect on the external environment. Especially in the case of close mounting, relays may not operate properly due to magnetic interference between relays.
Therefore, relays that are not magnetically shielded should be mounted with a minimum distance of 15 mm between relays.
Furthermore, the use of relays in the presence of objects that generate strong magnetic fields, such as transformers or permanent magnets, should also be avoided, as they may cause malfunctions.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Sort by Features
Sort by Area
MagneLink, Inc. was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon. The company is a manufacturer of magnetic switches and related products for customers in the automotive, industrial, medical, aerospace, and transportation industries. The company’s four product lines are Magnetic Switches, Defeat-Resistant (Coded) Magnetic Switches, Magnets, and Accessories. Standard switches are used in robotics, automated product handling, and other uses. Defeat-Resistant Switches use solid-state technology providing extra protection. Accessories include various connectors and adapters for switches.
Standex Electronics is a worldwide market leader in the design, development and manufacture of standard reed switch-based sensor solutions and custom electro-magnetic components, including magnetics products. Their company history dating back to 1969, Standex has provided their service to a high customer base globally for more than 50 years. The company has high-quality standards, work by the approach of "partner, solve, deliver", focus on a customer driven innovation and commitment to absolute customer satisfaction. Their diverse capabilities and dynamic solutions allow them the ability to achieve the highest quality levels of efficiency and productivity. Sustainability is a high focus of the Standex product line, with long-term sustainability improvements continuing to drive consistent technological growth. Green switching applications are a growing demand for their customers, and they ensure to deliver.
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.
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.
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.
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 | Binsack Reedtechnik | 20% |
2 | Littelfuse | 20% |
3 | Schneider Electric | 20% |
4 | Cynergy3 Components | 20% |
5 | Bright Toward Industrial | 20% |
Ranking as of June 2023 Globally
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Bright Toward Industrial | 16.7% |
2 | Schneider Electric | 10% |
3 | Ross Engineering Corp. | 10% |
4 | Binsack Reedtechnik | 6.7% |
5 | Cynergy3 Components | 6.7% |
6 | Comus International | 6.7% |
7 | Littelfuse | 6.7% |
8 | Cosmo Electronics | 6.7% |
9 | Standex-Meder Electronics | 6.7% |
10 | Magnelink, Inc. | 6.7% |
11 | Struthers-Dunn, Inc. | 3.3% |
12 | NetSource Technology, Inc. | 3.3% |
13 | Pickering Electronics | 3.3% |
14 | Coto Technology | 3.3% |
15 | Celduc Inc. | 3.3% |
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the reed 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