Guide to Electrical Relays

Purchase solid state industrial relays

Solid state voltage relays are non-contact relays utilizing semiconductors. They are useful in applications that require high-frequency and high-speed operations such as electric heaters and small electric motors.

I recommend: Industrial relay provider Omron offers a selection of solid state relays. Browse their heater control, three-phase motors and socket style solid state relays.

Program your electronics with a timer delay relay

Timer relays are useful when you want an electrical operation to start after a time delay. Timer relays incorporate mechanical clockwork to allow time delay lengths from fractions of seconds to multiple hours. Specify the delay period on the timer itself and alter it if your needs change.

I recommend: Shop the online catalog of AutomationDirect for time delay electrical relays from multiple manufacturers. They also sell general purpose electrical relays, and all relays include LED indicators for simplified troubleshooting.

Buy specialty relays for non-standard electrical applications

If you're looking for electrical relays to use in aerospace applications or in extreme temperatures, standard Internet searches for electric relay parts may not be fruitful. However, there are electrical relay manufacturers out there who provide relays for specialty applications. Look for a provider specializing in relays for military purposes, or one that supplies ultraminiature parts.

I recommend: Teledyne Relays provides electrical relays for a wide variety of applications, including commercial aviation, space and heating and lighting. Use their search tool to enter the specifications of the relay you're looking for and find the product in their inventory that fulfills your needs.