Ten years ago, knowing how your DC contactors were being used was as detailed as designing it in and seeing how it performs. Was that enough? Absolutely not, over the past decade, the way contactors are being used has changed, the systems have changed and how we monitor these components has also changed.

Gone are the times of fitting a component in a system and forgetting about it. It’s important to understand how these components are being used. With many EV applications or fast charger applications, our customers always monitor the current flowing through our contactors, the temperatures the product has been subjected to and how many times the product has had to “hot switch”. What’s even more important is learning what loads that were being switched when the
event happened. We want to know as much as possible about the day-to-day life of the contactor, if there is an unusual event causing excess temperatures, we’d like to know why, and understand how that effects the longevity of the contactor. 

Knowledge is power when it comes to DC contactor usage, the data allows our customers to apply preventative measures when it comes to maintenance, the alternative is reactive maintenance, which comes at considerable cost. Replacing a failed component on a fast charger comes at a considerable cost in labour and in monetary terms, for that reason, using the data available, by utilising sensors in their designs, the manufacturers can estimate the life of components, apply
preventative maintenance measures, and ensure there is zero down time for their products, this gives the end user a seamless experience.

To understand in further detail, how to monitor and gauge the life expectancy of DC switching products, you can talk to us, Altran Magnetics, the experts in DC switching technology.