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News Release from: Omron Corp
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 7 April 2004

Mini power relay still going strong after 37 years

Omron celebrated a manufacturing milestone earlier this year when the 500 millionth MY mini power relay rolled off its production lines.

Note: A free brochure or catalogue is available from Omron Corp on the products in this news release. Click here to request a copy.

Omron celebrated a manufacturing milestone earlier this year when the 500 millionth MY mini power relay rolled off its production lines. Since it was first produced 37 years ago, the MY series has earned a long-lasting reputation among users as a truly versatile relay suitable not only for distribution boards and industrial control, but also for commercial equipment and housing installations. Development of the MY relay began in 1965, when Omron's research of the industrial market identified a requirement for a new breed of power relay to meet the trend towards miniaturisation, as control panels became smaller and smaller with the growing dissemination of automation.

Combining this general market research with feedback from its own customers, Omron's R and D team developed a product that set benchmark standards for performance and size.

Initial targets for the MY relay were set at 10,000 per month, but the product quickly exceeded expectations, eventually becoming a global de-facto standard in automation.

Patented at the time, but much copied in subsequent years, Omron's MY variant has kept ahead of the pack thanks to ongoing development.

New features and functions added over the years have included an innovative relay base, LED status indicators, a push-to-test function, CR suppression, cadmium-free contacts, and face-plates for legends.

The leader in the global general purpose relay market, Omron's MY relay also boasts one of the highest volumes of sales amongst Omron's entire product range.

As well as introducing innovative new features, Omron has continually improved product quality and developed new production techniques, contributing to ever increasing sales growth.

As a result, accumulated production of the MY relay topped 300 million units in July 1990, then 400 million in 1996, before the milestone of 500 million units was surpassed earlier this year.

The 500 million relays produced over the last 37 years means that, on average, a new relay rolls off the production lines every 2.4s.

If you were to stack 500 million MY relays on top of each other, you would have a tower more than 20,000km high - or a line that would stretch nearly half way around the world.

500 million MY relays laid side by side would cover a floor area of 504,000m2, more than enough to fill every hall at the Hannover Messe.

With 20 million MY relays already produced annually at its factories around the world, Omron is currently building additional lines that will set benchmark standards for both production volumes and product quality.

And not content with simply meeting current demand, Omron is committing significant R and D resources to ensuring that MY relays continue to lead the field, meeting users' ever-changing and diversifying automation requirements.

This is highlighted by the forthcoming launch of a new upgraded MY relay available later this year.

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