Solid State Relays

A solid-state relays primary advantage over electromechanical relays is that they have no moving parts that can be subjected to wear from opening and closing, also these relays also have no contact bounce issues. Packaged solid-state relays use power semiconductor devices such as thyristors and transistors, to switch currents up to around a hundred amperes.

Solid-state relays, or SSR for short, can switch between both the ON and OFF position much faster than the armature of a mechanical relay, as well as having a zero-voltage turn-on and zero current turn-off which eliminates electrical noise and transients.

Solid-state relays come in a wide range of package options, ranging from a few volts or amps to many hundreds of volts and amps of switching capability. Similar to electromechanical relays a small input voltage, typically 3 to 32 volts DC, can be used to control a much large output voltage, or current. A significant advantage of solid-state relays is that they are considerable smaller than mechanical versions, have no sparking issues and are suitable for explosive environments and they can operate silently.

What are Solid State Relays used for?

Typical applications for solid-state relays are where the switching of an AC load is required for on/off switching, light dimming, motor speed control and in applications where power control is a requirement.

Kempston Controls, a leading supplier of electrical and electronic components, stocks an extensive range of solid-state relays from all the leading brands including Omron, Carlo Gavazzi, Siemens, Kudom, Gefran, Finder and many more.

Give our dedicated sales team a call on +44 (0) 1933 411411 or use the contact form above to discuss your solid state relay requirements.