Different types of relay modules are used in industry. They switch and multiply signals, boost power and provide electrical isolation between the controller and the application. Although this technology has been established for decades, innovations are still being made today. Phoenix Contact’s Rifline complete, for example, is a new industrial relay system.
The author: Sarah Pyritz Product Marketing Interface Digital team, Phoenix Contact Electronics
Until now, the industrial relay sector has been served by Phoenix Contact’s PR series. The recently developed Rifline complete product range has extended the existing solution with a low-cost approach. The range includes seven different bases to accommodate the relays most frequently used in the industrial sector. What’s more, the new relay system meets a wide range of requirements – from applications in confined spaces with just one switch contact to high switching capacities up to 440 V (AC) or 16 A. Rifline complete is therefore ideally suited for anything from simple coupling applications right through to small power contactors. All the relay modules share the same uniform design and ease of use, combining simple bridging with a clear overview of the control cabinet.
Straightforward wiring
When developing the Rifline complete relay range, Phoenix Contact put its trust in the tried-and-tested push-in technology which has already made a name for itself in several other product lines such as Clipline complete, PLC-Interface or Axioline. This connection technique enables wiring without tools, by directly inserting the conductor into the terminal sleeve. Installation times are reduced and the same conductor connection force is used throughout.
There is another feature that also facilitates the wiring of Rifline relays in addition to the push-in technology. Maximum time and cost savings are achieved because no conductors need to be connected. This is implemented for all bases in the Rifline complete product range by bridging the common minus potential (A2) on the input side. Plug-in bridges from the Clip-line complete range are available for this purpose. Up to 50 modules can be bridged with a multiple bridge, for example, from a 6.2 mm narrow RIF-0 base. The remaining bases are bridged directly from one base to another. The bridge shafts are attached to an identical position on all bases on the input side, meaning that bridging is also possible beyond all base sizes. The narrow RIF-0 base can thus be connected to the wide RIF-4 base without any problems. In addition, the grouped contact (11) can be bridged at the RIF-0 and RIF-1 bases on the output side but the bases can then no longer be mixed. RIF-0 offers multiple bridging in the same way as the input side. RIF-1 simultaneously supports internal bridging of the grouped contact for both relay PDTs in order to increase the reliable switching current. Furthermore, the grouped contact can be bridged to the adjacent RIF-1 module.
Comprehensive range of accessories
In addition to the above-mentioned bridges, the Rifline complete product range draws on further accessories from Clipline complete modular terminal blocks. The relay modules are marked, for instance, with the standard zack marker strip, which can be snapped onto the relay retaining bracket. Additional markings can moreover be fixed to the bases by means of marker carriers. In order to test the conductors in the connections, test adapters from the Clip-line complete range make contact with the terminal point in the test hole provided.
Rifline complete features its own accessories beyond the familiar Clipline complete options. They include the functional plug-in modules and the timer module. The former are used in combination with RIF-1, RIF-2, RIF-3 and RIF-4 bases. Depending on the design, they incorpo-rate a status LED, a diode for protection against polarity reversal if DC is used and a protective circuit to limit inductive reverse voltage.
Fast timer relay retrofitting
The RIF-T3-24UC timer module upgrades the standard relay to a timer relay. Three timer functions and four time ranges are offered in a 13 mm narrow housing. The timer module can be universally plugged into the RIF-1, RIF-2, RIF-3 and RIF-4 bases. The RIF-T3-24UC supports three timer functions: switch-on delay, passing make contact and clocking. The switch-on delay function means that the relay only switches after a predetermined time once the input voltage is present. The passing make contact option enables careful switching of the relay in the presence of input voltage as well as switching off after a predetermined time regardless of the input voltage. The clocking function causes the relay to remain in the switching state until the defined time elapses as soon as input voltage is present. The relay subsequently remains switched off for the same period before switching once more and the cycle then starts again from the beginning.
The time to be set is divided into four ranges: 0.5 to 10 s, 5 to 100 s, 0.5 to 10 min and 5 to 100 min. The times are determined using DIP switches. A potentiometer permits finer settings. The relays in the Rifline complete product range can be converted into universal timer relays in this way in only a few steps.
Flexible ordering
Rifline complete can be purchased either as a fully mounted relay module or as a universally connectable modular system. Complete mod-ules are offered for simple orders on the stand-ard voltage level. In this case the base, relay, relay retaining bracket and functional plug-in modules are supplied as one unit. Users simply need to enter an order number into their system to receive a relay module that can be installed directly. The components in the Rifline complete product range can also be ordered individually for assembly by the customer, for example, because special voltages are stipulated. Each user therefore acquires a relay tailored to their specific requirements.
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