A new relay, now available from Panasonic, fulfils all demands of the digital…

A new relay, now available from Panasonic, fulfils all demands of the digital, electronic smart meters market where a latching relay is necessary to save energy. The DW relay is also suited for many more applications, in particular the switching of heater circuit-breakers.

A compact design (24mm x 10mm x 18.8mm (LxWxH)) and low coil power dissipation (200mW for the 1 coil latching type or 400mW for the 2 coil latching type) make this relay particularly attractive for reducing stand-by current consumption in the white goods market, (e.g. for use in washing machines, dishwashers and driers). The DW relay is available in an LCP housing (for reflow soldering) and also in PBT, upon request, which fulfills the VDE standard EN60335 (glow wire test, creepage resistance), designed particularly for this market segment.

The surge withstand voltage here is a remarkable 12kV. The 6 mm creepage and clearance distance between contact and coil and an impressive breakdown voltage of 5kV between contact and coil are advantageous when designing the DW relay in an application.

In principle, the DW relay can be used in the entire “eco market,” where power of up to 8A/250V AC must be switched reliably. The latching DW relay also extends the period of use considerably for battery-driven applications. This product expands the already impressive portfolio of latching power relays from Panasonic.