Novel relays stay in control for longer
A
Watlow product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Dec 17, 2007
Relays without No-Arc typically have a life cycle of about 100,000 cycles at rated amperage, whereas a No-Arc relay will have a life of more than four million cycles.
A new technology developed by Watlow extends the life of relays incorporated in the company's temperature and power switching controllers used in heating applications requiring a high volume of cycles.
Electromechanical relay technology has been the same for many years, as has the electrical arcing that can shorten the life of electromechanical relays.
But this engineering "fact of life" has changed thanks to Watlow's new technology, called No-Arc.
A No-Arc relay is a mechanical relay with arc suppression provided through the use of smart electronics.
The technology reduces the amount of arcing across the relay contacts and greatly extents the life of the relay.
Relays without No-Arc typically have a life cycle of about 100,000 cycles at rated amperage, whereas a No-Arc relay will have a life of more than four million cycles.
"When the control signal is provided to the product to turn the relays on, No-Arc technology energises a circuit that is in parallel with the contacts to carry the load so the contacts do not have to", says Watlow Product Manager, Jim Hentges.
"Then, we do the same thing when the relay is expected to open or turn off".
No-Arc technology is superior to alternative technologies for many reasons, including that it can handle high current without a large heatsink.
Eliminating the need for a heatsink further reduces ownership costs and the number of components required for operation.
Watlow is the first heater manufacturer to introduce this new technology.
Any application that requires millions of cycles will see value in arc suppression technology.
"Many industries are constantly seeking ways to reduce costs, so building in an arc suppression circuit extends the life of relays, reducing the need for product replacement and potential manufacturing downtime", Hentges says.
Watlow products that incorporate NO-ARC technology include the E-Safe II hybrid power switch.
The E-Safe II provides reliable and accurate power switching in a mercury-free product.
The device offers a switching life of millions of cycles at 35A amperes at a high ambient temperature rating of 70C providing superior performance.
No-Arc relay technology not only allows it to switch millions of cycles but also decreases noise and increases temperature accuracy.
The EZ-Zone PM is a 1/32 or 1/16 DIN panel mount controller offering options to reduce the complexity and cost of a control loop.
The EZ-Zone PM controller can be configured as a PID controller, over/under limit controller or these functions can be combined into one integrated controller.
Using No-Arc relay technology the EZ-Zone PM is able to offer 15 ampere load capacity and offers over two million cycles at rated load (maximum 240V AC, 5s minimum cycle time).
The EHG SL10 is an integrated/adjustable, agency recognised safety limit (UL1998), temperature controller and heater all in one system.
Its compact design, inherent reliability and integrated limit functions make this system a tremendous value.
The EHG SL10 incorporates a No-Arc relay as the process output switching device, making it more reliable than traditional thermostats and thermofuses.
This controller will typically provide four to five million cycles at 10A rating.
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Contact Watlow
Tel (USA) 1-800-928-563-2
Other Watlow stories
-
Watlow extends Cast-X heater series
Watlow has introduced the Cast-X 3000 circulation heater, an economically priced heater offering high flow volume at the required temperature through a single compact product. -
Watlow unveils temperature/process controller
Watlow has introduces the EZ-zone RM - a configurable multi-loop temperature/process controller that integrates an entire assembly of control loop functionality in one Din-rail mounted package. -
Modular line heater is easy to install
The Relialine 170 features precisely controlled heat distribution and is automatically self regulating to provide temperature uniformity. -
Large heaters tackle photovoltaic challenges
Watlow, a designer and manufacturer of electric heaters, controllers and temperature sensors, has released large thick film flat panel heaters. -
Controllers are RoHS compliant as standard
Watlow's on/off temperature and limit microprocessor based controllers provide an economical solution for applications requiring simple on/off control.
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