Relay system reduces space requirements and wiring effort in milling machines

The high-speed milling machines from Röders TEC GmbH, of which more than 2,000 have been installed in over 50 countries (as of 2014), are used, among other things, to manufacture high-precision molds for medical technology and dies for striking coins.

The company has subsidiaries in China, France, the USA, and Vietnam.

Röders TEC uses numerous coupling relays for controlling its milling machines, since a wide range of switching tasks need to be implemented.
“We use the fast RIF-0 relay module to couple signals between the controller and the field. They may be feedback signals from an external dust extraction plant, for example, that are only 24 V and just a few mA in size.
To multiply signals, we use the RIF-2 relay module, because it provides up to four changeover contacts,” reports Olaf Hartmann, who is responsible for the electrical design of the machines.
The high cutting speed places high demands on the spindles, which are therefore coated with an oil/air mixture every three seconds. A solid-state relay actuates the oil pump that provides the lubricant mixture. The relay works without any wear, and therefore guarantees reliable machine operation.

As the milling machines contain numerous coupling relays, the efficient assembly and wiring of the modules plays an important role. “That’s another reason why we opted for relay modules from the RIFLINE complete product family,” explains Olaf Hartmann. “RIFLINE relays are easy and convenient to wire.” This is the result of the innovative Push-in technology, which allows solid and stranded conductors with ferrules, from a cross section of 0.34 mm², to be connected safely and quickly, without any tools.
The RIFLINE complete relay system uses the plug-in bridges, the marking material, and the test plugs from the CLIPLINE complete terminal block family. This reduces effort when it comes to planning, purchasing, and storing components.