Product Review: The RIBAN – A Great Relay for Panel Building

We build quite a few control panels at Stromquist & Company for our customers. In fact, in our Florida UL listed panel shop we are always looking for ways to improve quality without cutting costs. So I  am thrilled with the new RIBAN series of relays from Functional Devices. For those of you who might not know, Functional Devices developed the RIB (Relay in a Box). Stromquist & Company has been providing our customers with RIB relays for years. The RIBs have proven reliable and durable, and the team at Functional Devices stands behind their products and provides great customer service.  That’s why I am not surprised with how well the new RIBAN series of relays we tested worked.

The RIBAN is designed for anyone building panels, and it is a great alternative to the old plug-in enclosed relays. The functions make it easy to install, test, and troubleshoot. Functional Devices created the RIBAN as a new type of relay, different from anything else in the marketplace.

Available with a 12 or 24 Vac/dc coil, the 10 amp SPDT enclosed relay is designed to be track, din rail or screw mounted for a unique versatility, especially when building panels. Our team found the din rail mounting to be very easy.  The relay has an LED to let you know when it is energized, screw terminals for easy plug in, and side mounting clips for attaching Functional Device’s current sensors. By unplugging these terminals the relay may be replaced if needed without disturbing the wiring. It is a little more expensive than a traditional relay, but when you figure in how easy it is to install and work on, the extra dollars are well worth it, especially when building control panels. Our team gives the Functional Devices RIBAN series and A+. Hats off to the engineers at Functional Devices for thinking outside the box – even when the product is in a box!

I am interested in what you think about the RIBAN and any of the Functional Devices RIB products. Please summit your comments and give these products your rating with 10 being so great you cannot believe it and 1 being the product is so bad I would never use it again no matter what. I look forward to hearing from you.

If you are interested in learning more about this product or any others from Functional Devices and you are in the Atlanta area, you can attend our Lunch and Learn this Thursday at 12:00. Click on the “Training” tab above to register.  Or you can view the Lunch and Learn here via live streaming video.