Partnership to create sustainable coupling relays

Siemens Smart Infrastructure has launched a new series of coupling relays, with housing made from plastic that consists of 70% bio-based material derived from biomass waste.

The Akulon K225-KS B-MB plastic was developed by Envalior in collaboration with Siemens to ensure all the desired properties are met.

The plastic’s raw material comes from used cooking oil (UCO), left over after frying in the food industry, restaurants, snack bars and households. As UCO is no longer suitable for human or animal consumption, it does not compete with food or animal feed production.

While UCO is mainly used for biodiesel, Envalior uses it for the production of engineering plastics based on a mass balance concept, avoiding incineration.

“Collaborating with Envalior to create this bio-based plastic is an important step towards advancing the use of more sustainable materials in our electrical products. We are pleased to work with Envalior as another strong partner on our journey towards a more environmentally friendly portfolio,” said Andreas Matthé, CEO of Electrical Products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure.

The new SIRIUS 3RQ4 coupling relay comes in three versatile variants for a wide range of industrial requirements.

The first variant with integral relay output is specially designed for harsh environmental conditions, as well as for areas with specific safety requirements. These relays have safety-ready characteristic values (B10d values) and are also approved for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX-certified). This variant is optionally available with gold-plated contact elements for switching very low currents, or with printed circuit boards with a protective coating, which are suited for railway applications.

As a second variant, plug-in coupling relays are available for applications that require quick relay replacement during operation. They are also available as an option with gold-plated contacts.

For applications requiring very fast, soundless and frequent switching, Siemens offers a third variant with semiconductor output. The company has said it has a virtually infinite service life — it is used where replacing conventional relays can be expensive and time-consuming.

Siemens has been able to increase the switching capacity of these semiconductor variants to up to 6A, enabling them to match the performance of conventional elementary relays.

The coupling relays are designed for more sustainability throughout their entire lifecycle, from development to the end of service life, and they meet the strict criteria of the Siemens EcoTech label.

This includes 33% lower energy losses in the semiconductor variant compared to previous versions as well as eliminating problematic materials such as halogens or PFAS. In addition, the product can be easily dismantled and recycled at the end of its life.

Envalior’s Akulon K225-KS B-MB, a bio-based, halogen-free, flame-retardant polyamide 6 grade plastic for injection moulding, is the ideal choice for these coupling relays. This more sustainable material is characterised by an improved environmental profile, high heat resistance and excellent chemical resistance, and is used in many electrical engineering and power distribution applications.

“At Envalior, we are proud to have partnered with Siemens in the development of the SIRIUS 3RQ4 coupling relay series. A key success factor in this project was achieving excellent flow behaviour in thin-wall designs and a UL94 V-0 rating at just 0.4 mm thickness, while simultaneously achieving an outstanding green share from bio-waste sources but at prime quality,” said Dr Marc Rudolf, Global Key Account Manager, Envalior.

The new coupling relays have a space-saving slimline design for optimised use in control cabinets. They have been designed and intensively tested for use in combination with Siemens controllers.

The fully automated production at the Siemens plant in Amberg shortens the supply chain in the German and European markets. The coupling relays are shipped in more sustainable cardboard boxes in standard multi-piece packaging. The operating instructions and all relevant information can be accessed electronically from an ID link on the device.

Image caption: The new SIRIUS 3RQ4 coupling relay offers three versatile variants for a wide range of industrial requirements. Image: Supplied.