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New PLC-RELAY Has Current Rating of 10A
Sean Snyder, Associate Editor -- Design News, February 12, 2008
Phoenix Contact’s new PLC-RELAY high-current terminal block features a nominal current rating of 10A. The boost in current is to accommodate for equipment that might require more than the standard rating of 6A and it provides a higher level of security for uncertain load conditions.
“If your device requires more than 6 amps and you use a relay rated for 6 amps you’re going to damage it; the contacts would weld together and you would no longer have the ability to open and close them,” says Mike Garrick, product marketing lead specialist for relays at Phoenix Contact.
At 14 mm, the PLC-RELAY is more than twice the size of standard relays, which are typically 6 mm. This additional size is one of the tradeoffs for upgrading to a larger block; the other is they cost more than 6-mm relays.
By virtue of its size, the new relay helps improve the electrical life of the blocks and allows for a longer switching life. “Bigger contacts are going to last longer, and that’s just a property of the contact,” says Garrick. “The surface area of the relay contact is physically bigger in the 10-amp model, so they do it for electrical reliability, which means you can turn it on and off more times than you would be able to with a 6-amp.”
The PLC-RELAY is an alternative to ice cube relays and features a patented plug-in bridging system, which eliminates daisy-chain wiring and can reduce installation time. The PLC-RELAY uses plug-in SPDT contacts and comes with either spring terminals or screw terminals. Also, the high-current terminal block relays can connect to other 6- and 14-mm PLC-RELAYs using a press fit bridge.
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 The new PLC-RELAY high-current terminal block from Phoenix Contact is available with either spring terminals (shown here) or screw terminals. |
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