Control Panel U blog

Which contactor is better - IEC, NEMA or Definite Purpose? Summary: The choice of contactor type depends most on who is making the decision, and what they value the most.  NEMA = ROBUST, Definite Purpose = "budget friendly", and IEC = versatile. There are reasons for three different types of contactors, and there are reasons one makes more sense than the other... depending on who you ask. What makes each type unique? NEMA - This type is the "tank" of the contactor world.  It is big, has large contacts that makes it capable of handling even severe applications.  NEMA devices are also easy to maintain - repair it and put it back into service.  I used to work in tech support for a market leader of NEMA motor control, and it was not unusual to hear of NEMA units operating for 40 years. Definite Purpose - As the name implies, this type has an intended use, and performs in that use well.  It has an attractive price point, but don't expect too much more of it though. D...

Summary: Sustainability is an objective that more and more companies desire to achieve, but it is not always easy to implement. The good news is that there is a simple substitution that can be made in control panels that will reduce CO2 emissions over the life of the equipment or machinery. What is the Secret? 🤯 The technology that enables this achievement is the electronic control coil on the contactor. Traditional contactors use a coil bobbin to generate a magnetic field when energized, which pulls the contacts together and completes the circuit to the electric motor. This does the job but requires continuous energy consumption while the contactor is operating. Contactors with electronic coils consume less energy. A circuit board more efficiently manages the magnetization and hold-in consumption. For example, a common 9 amp contactor with an electronic coil may consume 1.4 VA in the hold-in state, whereas a 9 amp contactor with a traditional bobbin would coil may consume 8 VA in...