In the 4.0 era of industry, PLCs need thinner and lower-consumption relays

“As “Industry 4.0” has triggered a new round of industrial transformation competition on a global scale, many countries are gradually making efforts in the field of industrial automation to embrace the era of intelligence. As one of the most widely used and most important control components in this field, the relay has been given a more arduous “mission”, not only to be as small as possible, but also to maintain high performance and high reliability.

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As “Industry 4.0” has triggered a new round of industrial transformation competition on a global scale, many countries are gradually making efforts in the field of industrial automation to embrace the era of intelligence. As one of the most widely used and most important control components in this field, the relay has been given a more arduous “mission”, not only to be as small as possible, but also to maintain high performance and high reliability.

Wilson Wang, product manager of Excelpoint Shijian, a technology distributor who has been deeply involved in the industrial control field for many years, said that unlike traditional industrial relays, the industrial automation industry often has stricter requirements on Electronic relays, including high integration, strong load capacity, Low power consumption, good stability, etc. He recommended the G6DN series of power relays from Omron Electronic Components. This product can well meet the needs of today’s market. It can be used on the internal PCB board of industrial automation equipment to achieve high current switching 5A (AC250V, DC30V) and cross double contacts to achieve high reliability. At present, the relay has three models: standard (G6DN-1A), L-type (G6DN-1A-L) and SL-type (G6DN-1A-SL). Among them, G6DN-1A-SL DC24 is the latest model, and Universal.

Figure 1: Omron G6DN series relay

Compared with ordinary industrial relays, G6DN series relays are slimmer, only 5mm wide, and compact in size, which makes it suitable for dense packaging.

Figure 2: Schematic diagram of the size of Omron G6DN series relays

Its use specifications meet the requirements of EN61010-1 and EN61010-2-201 (reinforced insulation CTI 600V or more, and the rated insulation voltage is 300V); at the same time, it also has the advantage of low power consumption (110mW). Customers can choose the appropriate model according to their needs.

Figure 3: G6DN series relay performance parameters

Next, Wilson focused on the application of G6DN series relays in programmable logic controllers (Programmable Logic Controller, referred to as “PLC”). Programmable controller is one of the most important, most popular, and most applied industrial control devices. It is recognized as one of the “three pillars” of modern industrial automation. It uses programmable memory to execute operating instructions, and controls mechanical equipment or production processes through digital or analog input and output interfaces.

The output circuit of PLC has relay output, MOS tube and triode output and so on. Using Omron G6DN series relay output, it can carry different AC and DC loads. Its maximum switching current reaches 5A, and it performs well on inductive loads and surge loads, so it can improve product performance and extend service life.

Figure 4: PLC schematic diagram

In addition to PLC, G6DN series relays can also be used in civil equipment, FA equipment, building automation equipment, etc. It can also play a big role in situations where various valves, motors, contactors are required for switching, external output, alarm output, power switching, etc.

Wilson further stated, “Excelpoint, the leading distributor of electronic components in the Asia-Pacific region, can provide high-quality products in the entire PLC signal chain. In addition to relays, it can also provide signal acquisition chips, including operational amplifiers, ADCs, DACs, Power management, communication interface, etc. At the same time, Shijian’s professional technical team can also provide technical support, and there have been successful cases.”

Figure 5: Shijian can provide PLC full signal chain products

In today’s society, with the rapid development of science and technology, the technology of electronic equipment is also constantly improving, and all kinds of electronic equipment are tending to be intelligent and miniaturized. Similarly, for power relays that are widely used in power protection, industrial automation, sports, remote control, measurement and communication devices, it is also a general trend to achieve their miniaturization and high performance. Omron relay G6DN series with its small size, high stability, low power consumption and other characteristics, help customers to better complete product design, has won a good reputation in the industrial automation industry.