Why There Is a Growing Need for Industrial Slim I/O Relays in Control Panels

The Newest Trend in Control Panel Design

As automation systems in manufacturing facilities evolve, so do control panels and the components that are housed within them. The trend in control panel design is very clear: they are becoming more advanced, with the ability to mount more devices in a smaller panel, while increasing the control panel's functionality. Specifically, the miniaturization of control panels is accomplished with slimmer, downsized components and side-by-side mounting, reducing the width between wiring ducts and dead space. To illustrate how slimmer, downsized components are becoming the choice for control panel designers, let's consider the G2RV-SR Slim I/O Relay. Omron’s G2RV-SR series relays are industrial slim relays crafted for smaller control panels.

Overview of Industrial Slim I/O Relays

The G2RV-SR series relays by Omron is a slim input/output electromagnetic general purpose SPDT relay designed for in-panel applications. Its overall size is 25% less than any conventional relay, which makes it ideal for control panel miniaturization. Its high current capacity up to 6A for each pole and slim shape makes this relay attractive to designers who need a high switching current capability in a limited space. It is also suitable for small switching current (micro-load) up to 50mA for one pole with a Au-plated contact. They are pluggable into a terminal socket, making them easy, but also the design prevents the bending of the terminals during installation. The G2RV-SR series relay uses Push-In Plus technology, which reduces wiring time compared to conventional relays. The G2RV-SR series relay conforms to the UL, CSA, CE, CCC, and Marine standards.

Slim Profile

G2RV-SR series relays have a 6.2mm width, which makes it ideal for compact control panel designs. Their small footprint permits designers to insert a higher number of modules in the same area, as compared to conventional EM relays. Beyond their small form factor, they can switch a 6-amp load where conventional relays switch only up to 2 amps.

Push-in Plus Technology

When building a modern control panel, wiring the components in the panel is almost always the most time consuming part of the job. Push-in cable connectors have been available for many years, and not surprisingly they provide a quicker connection than screw-based terminal blocks. But when stranded wire without ferrule is used, panel builders need to open the locking gate with a screwdriver with one hand, while they thread the wire with the other - this single-handed threading can be a little awkward. In addition, the manual force required to push in the wire to achieve a stable connection can cause muscle - fatigue and RSI – especially with the more complex panels that may have as many as 200 to 300 components and more than 1,000 wires that need connecting. Push-In Plus technology improves on traditional push-in cable connectors.

Push-In Plus technology can be used with ferruled wire, bare stranded wire, or solid copper wire. For all three wire types the engineer has both hands free to thread the wire – so no awkward single-handed threading. What’s more, the engineer needs only a very light force to make a stable connection, less than the force required to insert an ear-phone jack. But perhaps what's the most surprising feature of Push-In Plus technology is its tensile strength. Once inserted it requires a very large force to dislodge the wire – more than five times the IEC standard.

The result is that wiring a control panel can now be achieved in 40% of the time it used to take with conventional screw block terminals. Moreover, Push-In Plus technology provides a connection that is five times stronger than the IEC standard and it requires no re-tightening after transit or during maintenance.

Other Features

The following are a few other features that make of the G2RV-SR relays series:

• Easy Installation: The socket for these relays can be installed with either the top or the bottom facing up, which simplifies the design and reduces wiring. It has a unified height of 90 mm, which enables sharing short bars, reduces work in managing stocks, and lessens design work.
• Latching Lever (Test Switch): The G2RV-SR series relay is available with or without a latching lever.  The lever is used to check operation confirmation and to reduce inspection efforts. The relay’s front protective cover protects it from foreign matter intrusion.
• Release lever: All Sockets come with release levers as standard for easy Relay lock and Release. The latter two prevent any damage from being done to the relay while removing from a socket.
• LED indicator: G2RV-SR series relays are equipped with an LED indicator, clear case, and a mechanical flag which allow easy and immediate visual operation verification. The latter helps to troubleshoot when required.

Applications for Industrial Slim Profile Relays

Due to their slim width, G2RV-SR relays are used useful for PLC input/output cable connections. Eight I/O points can be directly connected with just one PLC cable, which effectively reduces the wiring work. The slim profile saves space in high volume racks, commonly used in PLC applications. This series relay can also be used for motor control.