A current relay is a type of electromagnetic switch used as part of the control systems for electrical equipment. These relays are commonly used as sensors (current sensor/monitoring relays) to monitor current flow within industrial and other safety-sensitive equipment. Such equipment utilizes current relays to prevent malfunctions due to excessive or insufficient amounts of electrical current (“overcurrent” and “undercurrent,” respectively).
If too much current flows through a machine equipped with a current relay, the relay will activate, switching off or otherwise altering the amount of energy allowed to flow through the circuit or circuits the relay is connected to. This lowers the amount of current that's allowed to move through the system. The same functionality can be provided to machines or other electrical apparatuses to prevent damage due to undercurrent.
Current relays can be used for both AC and DC set-ups, and their ability to prevent equipment failures due to overcurrent and undercurrent makes them an effective hazard control in workplaces where an equipment malfunction could cause injury.
