This section provides an overview for safety relays as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 18 safety relay manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked safety relay companies as of April, 2023: 1.WAGO.
Table of Contents
Safety relays are relays that are used to build safety circuits for machinery and equipment. Safety Relays have a forced-guide contact structure and are used in the safety-related part of the control system to control the operation of machines only when safety is confirmed. This makes it possible to detect abnormalities and safely shut down equipment accordingly.
The mechanism is that the "input section" receives the transmitted signal. The module determines whether the signal is safe or not and sends the signal to the "output section. In the module, it plays a central role as the logic part.
Safety Relays are mainly used to monitor safety functions. For example, safety controls such as emergency stops, safety doors, safety mats, etc. are the main applications. They are designed to detect abnormalities in devices, sensors, or actuators and control them so that machines and equipment can be brought to a safe stop.
By incorporating modules that utilize Safety Relays, the safety of machines and equipment can be ensured. They protect against hazards by detecting potential hazards to operators, abnormalities in machines and equipment, and potential damage.
Safety relays differ from general relays in that they have a forced guided contact structure, with two types of contacts, a and b, each separated by a wall that must be insulated from the other. The two contacts are mechanically connected, and the a-contact and b-contact are interlocked according to the ON/OFF of the coil.
The forced guiding contact structure is characterized by a structure that detects abnormal conditions when "all b contacts have a contact gap of 0.5 mm or more when the coil is OFF if the a contact is welded" and "all a contacts have a contact gap of 0.5 mm or more when the coil is ON if the b contact is welded. The structure is characterized by its ability to detect abnormal conditions when "all a-contacts have a contact gap of 0.5 mm or more when the coil is ON. Therefore, the a-contact and b-contact are not in the same operating state at the time of contact welding.
In the case of a system that controls ON/OFF of a machine, the structure is such that the a-contact is connected to the power control circuit and the b-contact to the monitoring circuit. By doing so, when the a-contact is welded, the machine will only operate when the coil is in the ON state, and the machine will stop when it is in the OFF state. On the other hand, contact b is welded when the coil is in the OFF state and works as a supervisory circuit to detect a safety condition.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Rockwell Automation, Inc. was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Milwakee, WI. Rockwell Automation provides industrial automation and digital transformation solutions around the world. Rockwell Automation operates through their intelligent devices, software & control, and lifecycle services segments with both hardware and software products and services. The Intelligent Devices segment offers drives, motion, safety, sensing, industrial components, and configured-to-order products. The Software & Control segment provides control and visualization software and hardware, information software, and network and security infrastructure solutions. The Lifecycle Services segment provides consulting, professional services and solutions, and connected and maintenance services through independent distributors.
Pearse Betram+ was founded in 1947 in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Today Pearse Bertram+ is an end-to-end solutions provider for the manufacturing industry. Pearse Bertram+ is ISO 9001:2015 certified and also UL508A (industrial control panels), IPC 620 (wire harness assemblies), and IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, and IPC-7711 certified for soldering. Pearse Bertram+ operates in both contract manufacturing and engineering support. The manufacturing segment includes electrical, pneumatic, robotic, hydraulic, and process systems. Engineering support includes support for operation of robotics, machinery design and usage, industrial automation, value engineering, and auditing.
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.
ONExia Inc is based in Exton, Pennsylvania and is a robotics integrator, custom machine builder, and industrial distributor. ONExia specializing in manual process automation and assists manufacturers of all sizes increase throughput with cutting edge technology. ONExia works with customers to develop turnkey custom machines including 2D & 3D vision system integration, software design & development, and machine safety services. ONExia uses robotics to automate line packaging. ONExia also offers robot palletizers that are compatible with new or existing packaging lines.
WIN SOURCE is a customer-focused online store serving a wide variety of markets industries ranging from consumer to automotive to medical, industrial, and aerospace. WS specializes on size and speed, offering a catalog of over 1 million SKUS that can be shipped within 24 hours around the world. Offerings include an extensive array of semiconductor components, audio products, cable assemblies, racks, and battery products. WIN SOURCE is AS9120B, ISO9001, ISO14001, and ISO45001 certified and is a member of the anti-counterfeiting organization, ERAI.
PLC Hardware (PLCH) was founded in 1993 and operates out of Owings Mills, Maryland. PLCH is an independent distributor of used and surplus industrial automation and networking equipment. PLCH offers a 1-year warranty on all products and ships globally. PLCH’s emphasis is on hardware and distributes hardware from such brands as Cisco, HP Networking, Rockwell Automation and Siemens. A few of the many categories of hardware include application networking products, cables, optical networking systems, routers, switches, rack servers, content delivery devices, as well as HVAC controllers, and safety integrated systems.
AutomationDirect.com was founded in 1994 to provide solutions for the industrial automation market and has been growing its list of offerings ever since. AutomationDirects’ extensive catalog includes individual components such as cables, various controls, I/O devices, relays, gauges, fittings, and sensors to complete systems. Many parts and devices, especially PLC units are customizable. AutomationDirect.com also provides support via video instructions, online manuals, a learning library, an active community forum to further assist customers.
Pilz is headquartered in Ostfildern, Germany. Pilz designs components, systems, and services to assist industrial plant and machinery customers globally. Customers include many industries such as metals, pharmaceutical, food, presses, and robotics. Pilz serves customers through 4 venues: products and industries, services, support, and training. Products and services include everything from sensor technology and small controllers to robotics to software and operation monitoring. Services include machinery and workplace safety and international compliance. Support is offered 24/7. Training is available through courses and qualification programs.
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.
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.
Trimble Combustion Systems was founded in. 2000 and operates out of Sunman, Indiana. Trimble Combustion Systems cooperates with project and plant engineers, supervisors, technicians, and maintenance mangers in designing, building, and installing combustion processing equipment for manufacturing applications. Trimble is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 certified. Trimble Combustion Systems product offerings include pressure gauges, analyzers, igniters, and safety controllers. Trimble Combustion Systems services include fast equipment servicing, custom packaged systems solutions, installations, training, and audits.
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.
Ranking as of April 2023 in United States of America
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | WAGO | 100% |
Ranking as of April 2023 Globally
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | WAGO | 40% |
2 | AutomationDirect | 20% |
3 | Banner Engineering Corporation | 20% |
4 | Schneider Electric | 20% |
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the safety relay page as of April 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
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