Panasonic has set up two European relay test laboratories, both near Munich, which will also analyse the company’s other electromechanical products.

Panasonic EU relay Lab wider view
“The equipment in the labs comprises high-voltage, stress and long-term testing stations, high-speed cameras, leakage testers and temperature simulators,” said the company. “If indicated, customers can book a visit to get support from technical experts if they have special requests or requirements beyond standard applications – questions about particularly harsh operating conditions, for example.”

Panasonic EU relay Lab

It added that its relay datasheets “cover more than 80% of applications, [but] the paper can only cover a certain range of values and parameters, which mostly refer to worst-case scenarios”.

The labs will also investigate in-field failures.

They are at the company’s European headquarters in Ottobrunn and in Pfaffenhofen, and the Ottobrunn lab gets its own dedicated website , and a YouTube video (skip to 30s to see the lab).

Do the two labs differ?

The company told Electronics Weekly:

Pfaffenhofen is highly specialised on material analysis and lifetime tests. Ottobrunn does the customised tests – they request a different setup for every test.

Based on the main task, the equipment [in each lab] has to follow the needs, therefore, you will find analysis equipment, like a x-ray or electron beam scanning microscope in Pfaffenhofen, and individual programming measurement equipment and flexible loads in Ottobrunn. The laboratory in Pfaffenhofen has additionally a high current facility is capable of providing test pulses of up to 20kA at 1,000V for a short time.

The nearness is a benefit for us – we can quickly stop by the other [lab] if the tests require it.