2020 is coming to an end and what a crazy year it’s been. I think it’s safe to say that everyone is ready to say “au revoir!” to 2020 and “hello sunshine!” to 2021. The aerospace industry took an unexpected turn for the worse this year but – it also took giant steps towards a new era of innovation. There are so many exciting things happening soon within the aerospace industry, which is just one reason to look forward to the new year. Until then, we’d like to put the spotlight on our top blog from Winter of 2015: What is a relay panel?
Here is a quiz. Which definition do you think applies to the aircraft electrical wiring industry when it comes to a relay?
- A supply (as of horses) arranged beforehand for successive relief.
- A race between teams in which each team member successively covers a specified portion of the course.
- An electromagnetic device for remote or automatic control that is actuated by variation in conditions of an electric circuit and that operates in turn with other devices (as switches) in the same or different circuit.
If you answered A, you really like horses. If you answered B, you really like running. If you answered C, you would be correct!
A relay is basically another word for a switch. It could be a switch that turns something on/off or a switch that alternates between two items. In turn, a relay panel is a panel that holds one or more relays that sends power or signal to equipment based upon the input received.
You can think of a relay panel kind of like a dispatch service. Someone calls the dispatch office (input), the dispatchers inform the runners (activate relay), and the runner performs the tasks (output). Typically, the relay panel will have multiple relays making multiple connections simultaneously.
When it comes to aircraft, it is paramount that the relays are wired correctly so that the power and signal perform the proper task. InterConnect has wired and tested hundreds of different F-15 relay panels, F-16 relay panels, and UH-60 relay panels over the years. You can trust that your critical equipment operates perfectly in our hands.
