Why Contactors Are Essential in Industrial Automation

The first units that have to satisfy the requirements of providing modern industrial plants with good safe and low price products are the electrical switching devices called contactors in industrial automation.
A contactor is an electrical device that permits the control of electrical circuits starting or stopping or protecting motors, lighting, heating, etc. It is easy to see how important these devices are for industrial automation.
Currently, contactors:
Are electrically controlled: it’s a switch that can be activated by electric control when desired;
They have to manage high currents and voltages, that’s why a relay that has suitable features couldn’t be used but a contactor must be used – its price is higher but the process is simplified; contactors are used in control panels, different kind of starters, etc.
The most precious feature of contactors is that they can be manage at distance; this permits an operator to control industrial things from distance and when an integrated automatic control feature is wanted.
Durability and Longevity: In most plant environments, machinery is often in constant use, and equipment needs to endure harsh conditions. Contactors are designed to be extremely durable, frequently capable of handling millions of switching cycles, making them a relatively cheap option for industrial applications in the long term.Protection Features: Contactors often come loaded with protection features, including overload protection, fault detection, and also short circuit protection. These features come vital to protect equipment and ensure that machines function harmlessly and properly. A fault or overload will generally make the contactor disconnect the circuit from further flow of current to prevent further damage and thus saving it future (and expensive) Repairs and downtime.
Applications of Contactors in Industrial Automation
Motor Control: Perhaps the most common application of them all, contactors are employed in motor control systems and start and stop electric motors by controlling the electricity supply to them. With preset controls to accomplish this, contactors then permit easy control of machinery, from fans and pumps to hoists and industrial mixers.
Lighting Control: Yet another excellent application for the contactor is the control of large scale lighting systems or even individual lighting systems. Factories, warehouses, office buildings, and various other areas make use of lighting control systems that kind of use of the trustyHeating and Cooling Systems: Controlling heating and cooling systems in a manufacturing plant where it is necessary to regulate temperature of the process is nothing but another prime application for the contactor. It is often necessary to furnish an electric heating unit, and the contactor is just the device to provide these means.
Safety: In applications where safety is paramount, as in fire-protection units, the operation of alarms, sprinklers, and even emergency power systems is under the control of contactors, the dependability of the operation, by virtue of the high-speed switching of the contactors, insuring that protection is given at the earliest moment.
Types of Contactors in Industrial Automation: From the point of view of the work to be done, contractors are divided into several classes. Some of those most commonly encountered are:
Single-pole contactors: For work requiring but the control of a small circuit and but one electrical phase; used in light circuits, etc.
Three-pole contacts: For the three-phase circuit; in use with many of the larger motors and pieces of equipment which require more power.
Contactors with auxiliary contacts: By having extra contacts, so that control is exerted by them, there is much greater latitude in the installation of contactors as part of larger systems of automation.