Hella PCB Relays Provide Compact Reliability

PLYMOUTH, Mich., April 7 -- Hella Electronics has added PCB (printed circuit board) relays to its line of electronic relays for use in automotive applications.

Hella PCB relays are designed for use in a variety of components and applications including power window- and door-locks, keyless entry units, seat controls, power sunroofs, side-view mirrors, cruise controls, radiator fans, intermittent windshield-wiper controls, rear fog lamps, emergency flashers, tilt steering systems, air conditioning, windshield-defogger and heater- systems.

PCB relays combine compact size with durability and high current capacity. They can enable the contact on Hella's flasher relay, for example, to handle more than 2.55-million cycles.

Quiet operation is achieved by employing damping materials, flexible wires and a double-enclosure design to prevent resonance, allowing OEMs to realize critical noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) objectives.

Stable under extreme thermal conditions, Hella's relays can withstand 125 degrees Celsius operating environments often found in engine compartments.

Single-relay, Class 25A (at 85 degrees Celsius) relays for use in inductive and resistive load situations are especially compact, offering a space savings of 30 percent compared to competitive relays. The Hella relays are available in make-contact and changeover versions.

Hella's twin-relay configuration features a simple H-bridge design for "ready-to-run" reversed motor polarity. The double relay is especially suited for inductive loads and is Class 25A rated at 85 degrees Celsius.

PCB relays provide application versatility, giving engineers the ability to use a single relay for double duty. Hella's single-relay 40A, at 125 degrees Celsius, double-make-contact relay drives both left- and right-signal lamps for hazard-light applications.

Hella PCB relays are designed for the wave soldering process, although re- flowable (pin-in-paste) or SMD (surface mount device) relays are available upon request.

Hella is a tier one supplier of lighting, electronic equipment, sensors and complete vehicle front-end modules to the auto industry. Hella North America and its parent company, Hella KG Hueck & Company, have 22,500 employees at more than 58 production locations in 16 countries throughout the world. Worldwide consolidated sales for Hella during the company's 2001-2002 fiscal year grew to more than $2.9 billion. Additional information about the company is available on the Internet at http://www.hellana.com/ or www.hella.de

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos available upon request to loliveto@usautocom.com