Scolmore continues to expand its Elucian consumer unit range to provide electricians with the broadest possible range of units and protectives devices to cater for all installation requirements.
New to Elucian is a range of 2 Pole (20A) or 4 Pole (25A, 40A, and 63A) Modular Contactors in a variety of Normally Open or Normally Closed contact configurations compatible with the Elucian range of Consumer Units.
Short circuit current
A contactor is an electrically controlled switch similar to a relay – essentially low voltage circuit component used for switching a higher-current electrical power circuit (more than 15 amps or a few kw).
It can be connected directly to devices with a high load, as it has rapid open and closing features designed to control and suppress the electrical arc discharged when a heavy motor current is interrupted. It is not, however, designed as a circuit breaker to interrupt a short circuit current.
Current-carrying components
The contacts are the current-carrying components and can include power and auxiliary contacts
A contactor is made up of three components: the enclosure, the electromagnet or coil, and the contacts/number of poles. The electromagnet or coil provides the driving force which closes the contacts, and consists of a static core and a moving core. The contacts are the current-carrying components and can include power and auxiliary contacts and contact springs.
When a current is passed through the coil, it produces a magnetic field that attracts the contactor's moving core. This moving core propels the moving contact by electromagnetic force towards the fixed contacts and holds them closed together. When power to the coil is turned off, the moving core is returned to its initial position, either by a contact spring or by gravity, and the contacts reopen.
Non-conductive state
A normally open (NO) contact pair is open (in a non-conductive state) when it, or the device operating it, is in a de-energized or relaxed state. A normally closed (NC) contact pair is closed (in a conductive state) when it, or the device operating it, is in a de-energized or relaxed state.
The new Elucian 2 Pole 20A Modular Contactors are 18mm width and will take up 1 space / way inside a consumer unit. The Elucian 4 Pole 25A Modular Contactors are 36mm width and will take up 2 spaces / ways inside a consumer unit. The Elucian 4 Pole 40A and 63A Modular Contactors are 54mm width and will take up 3 spaces / ways inside a consumer unit. An updated Elucian brochure has been produced and will showcase all the latest additions to the range.