Electrical Contactors
Reserved for professionals, TeSys electrical contactors from Schneider Electric are switching devices designed for…
What is an industrial electrical contactor?
A contactor is an electromagnetic relay that opens or closes a circuit upon receiving an electrical signal. With their high breaking capacity, industrial contactors, when installed in electrical panels, are used to power small, medium, and large motors (over 0.5 kW).
When properly sized, they ensure correct motor starting and optimal operation. The aim is to enhance reliability and motor longevity while ensuring uninterrupted service.
Single-pole, double-pole, 3-pole or 4-pole contactors, with 1 to 4 contacts, can be controlled by AC or DC voltages from 24 V to 400 V.
Good to know: The auxiliary contactor is used in the control section of electrical circuits with low currents (as opposed to the power section). It has no power contact and is mainly used to pass data from the circuit to a logic controller using NO (normally open) contacts and NC (normally closed) contacts. Are you looking for a Schneider motor contactor or auxiliary contactor? Opt for One-elec.com!
What's the difference between the main contactor and an auxiliary contactor?
Although they are both used to operate one or more contacts to transfer the power supply to a piece of equipment, their operation depends on the current loads and switching voltages, which can be very high.
The main contactor or simply contactor is used when the power of the load to be controlled is greater than the power that can be controlled by the element itself. In other words, a contactor is dimensioned to withstand the occurrence of an electric arc resulting from a high current, on opening or closing the circuit, such as a resistor, a motor or other high-power receivers.
The auxiliary contactor is used in the control section of electrical circuits where currents remain low (as opposed to the power section). It has no power contact and is mainly used to control NO (normally open) contacts and NC (normally closed) contacts.
Schneider Electric TeSys auxiliary contactors
TeSys K and TeSys D auxiliary contactors are designed to control low-power auxiliary circuits and relay power contactors.
Suitable for controlling three-phase motors up to 7.5 kW and resistive loads, these contactors come in reversing or non-reversing options and incorporate up to 5 auxiliary contacts with 4 only for the Tesys K.
Tesys K contactors are available to control up to 16 A (AC-3) and Tesys D contactors control up to 150 A (AC-3).
What do AC1 and AC3 categories mean for TeSys auxiliary contactors?
These 2 utilisation categories are standardised for alternating current and set the current values that the contactor can open or close, taking into account the type of load to be controlled and the power cycle conditions.
Category AC-1 applies to all devices with a cos ᵩ > 0.95 including resistive loads, ovens, lighting circuits, heating circuits, and distribution circuits.
The AC-3 category is more commonly used with three-phase asynchronous motors where disconnection takes place with the motor running, such as lifts, escalators, conveyors, bucket lifts, compressors, pumps, mixers or air conditioners.
Schneider Electric TeSys contactors
Unlike auxiliary contactors, these main contactors are designed to open or close high-power electrical circuits.
The TeSys K and TeSys Deca (formerly TeSys D) power contactors are used in the industrial sector.
TeSys Deca is for power ratings up to 75 kW and TeSys K for power ratings up to 7.5 kW.
How do I test the continuity of a contactor's contacts and coil?
Start by testing the coil by testing its resistance at the input and output terminals of the contactor with an ohmmeter. If you don't detect any value, the coil is damaged. Remember to set the tester in mode 1 (forced operation).
For NO contacts, when they are not working, the resistance must be infinite; when they are working, the resistance must be "zero".
For NC contacts, when not operating, the resistance must be "zero"; when operating, the resistance must be infinite.
The accessories available for the TeSys contactor range
- Electrical interlocks
- Kits for changeover contactors
- Kits for assembling changeover contactors
- Connection sets
- Mechanical interlock blocks
- Auxiliary contact blocks with serrated wiping action
- Dust-tight front-mounted auxiliary contact blocks
- Pneumatic timers
- Transient voltage suppressors
- Interface modules and electronic timers
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