Maintenance - Product Life Of Relay Contacts - Mitsubishi FX3U-?*MR/ES User Manual

FX Series Programmable Controllers
3U
User's Manual - Hardware Edition

14.4.3 Maintenance - product life of relay contacts

The product life of relay contacts varies considerably depending on the load type used. Take care that loads
generating reverse electromotive force or rush current may cause poor contact or deposition of contacts
which may lead to considerable reduction of the contact product life.
1. Inductive load
Inductive loads generate large reverse electromotive force between contacts at shutdown, which may cause
arcing. At a fixed current consumption, as the power factor (phase between current and voltage) gets smaller,
the arc energy gets larger.
1) Main unit, input/output powered extension units and input/output extension blocks
The standard life of contacts used for Inductive loads, such as contactors and solenoid valves, is 500,000
operations at 20 VA.
The following table shows the approximate life of a relay based on the results of an operation life test.
Test condition: 1 sec. ON / 1 sec.OFF
20VA
35VA
80VA
2) FX Series terminal blocks
The standard life of contacts used for Inductive loads, such as contactors and solenoid valves, is 500,000
operations at 35 VA.
The following table shows the approximate life of a relay based on the results of an operation life test.
Test condition: 1 sec. ON / 1 sec.OFF
35VA
80VA
120VA
The product life of relay contacts becomes considerably shorter than the above conditions when the rush
overcurrent is shut down.
Please refer to the following measures regarding the inductive load.
→ For precautions on the main unit, input/output powered extension unit and input/output
Some types of inductive loads generate rush current 5 to 15 times the stationary current at activation.
Make sure that the rush current does not exceed the current corresponding to the maximum specified
resistance load.
2. Lamp load
Lamp loads generally generate rush current 10 to 15 times the stationary current. Make sure that the rush
current does not exceed the current corresponding to the maximum specified resistance load.
274
Load capacity
0.2A/100V AC
0.1A/200V AC
0.35A/100V AC
0.17A/200V AC
0.8A/100V AC
0.4A/200V AC
Load capacity
0.35A/100V AC
0.17A/200V AC
0.8A/100V AC
0.4A/200V AC
1.2A/100V AC
0.6A/200V AC
→ For precautions on inductive loads for the terminal block, refer to
14 Test Operation, Adjustment, Maintenance and Troubleshooting
→ For the applicable models, refer to Chapter 3.
Contact life
3,000,000 times
1,000,000 times
200,000 times
→ For the applicable models, refer to Subsection 3.1.10.
Contact life
3,000,000 times
1,000,000 times
200,000 times
extension block, refer to Subsection 12.2.4 2.
14.4 Maintenance and Periodic Inspection
Subsection 20.7.4 2.