
Finder Force Guided Relays

Traditional relays use mechanical movement of metal contacts to switch a load on or off. The metal contacts have the potential to weld shut after repeated operation cycles, causing the machine to continue running even after an operator activates an emergency stop process. For this reason, safety relays are required for hazardous machinery.
Finder force guided relays are electromechanical switching devices that are designed in such a way that it is not possible for all contacts to be closed at the same time. If a normally open contact fails when trying to open, the associated normally closed contact cannot close when the power supply is switched off. Forcibly guided relays are used in safety circuits in combination with emergency stop switches, interlock switches, and light curtains to control outputs. They can also be used to expand outputs for safety controllers and safety relay modules.
Finder 7S Series are relays with forcibly guided contacts designed for DIN rail mounting. They are used with a safety PLC to provide monitoring and logic. The 7S Series are used for SIL 2/SIL 3 safety applications.
Finder 50 Series are relays with forcibly guided contacts designed for PCB mounting. They can be incorporated into a safety relay or used to create a custom-designed PCB-based safety system.
Safety Integrity Level (SIL) is a measure of safety system performance in terms of the probability of failure on demand (PFD). The higher the SIL level (1, 2, 3, and 4), the higher the associated safety level and the lower probability that a system will fail to perform properly.
Products
Safety Relays
In the event of a hazard, safety relays can help reduce the risk to a more acceptable level. They are commonly designed to be used in conjunction with other safety relays to increase the functionality and safety levels in work environments. The design and functionality of these relays is similar to regular relays, with a few exceptions. Like a common relay, safety relays use contacts that can be opened or closed. However, they also have the ability to evaluate and then control outputs based on those evaluations. If installed correctly, a safety relay will continue to function if a fault in a device occurs or if a fault is caused by a sensor. The redundant design features of safety relays allow for wiring errors, while still providing proper safety function.
It is very common to see safety relays being used around industrial machinery where safety is critical. Areas such as an industrial manufacturing plant environment, where there are a lot of motors, machinery and conveyors all operating simultaneously. Some of the devices that safety relays will be used with are emergency stops, three position devices, safety gates, pressure sensitive mats, contact strips, foot operated switches and time delay scenarios. Safety relays are tested much more vigorously than normal relays and have a much lower failure rate. The contacts are designed so that they can be completely disconnected, breaking both sides of the power connection as opposed to just one, like many normal relays.