Pilz / PNOZ X safety relays

The order number prefix tells you the generation and the terminal type. Here is the whole scheme, plus every PNOZ model we have confirmed.

PNOZ X is the classic Pilz electromechanical safety relay range and the most commonly encountered Pilz product in New Zealand industry. It monitors E-STOP circuits, safety gates, light curtains, light barriers and limit switches.

Much of the range is mature or discontinued. That is where we are most useful.

The order number prefix decode

This is the most useful thing on the page. The leading three digits tell you which generation and terminal type you are looking at.

The pattern holds across the range. Compare these pairs:

Same relay, different terminals. If your panel is wired for screw terminals, a C variant will not terminate, and the other way round.

What the P suffix means

A P in the model name means plug-in connection terminals. The terminal block detaches from the relay body.

That matters commercially: on a P-series relay you can replace the relay without rewiring, because the wired terminal block stays in place. On a classic 774 relay with integral terminals, every wire comes off.

If you are specifying new and expect to replace the relay during the machine's life, the P series saves considerable downtime later.

Every PNOZ X model

From the Pilz product listings.

Classic X series, 774 prefix

Delayed contact variants

The V is delayed contacts. A PNOZ XV2 has them; a PNOZ X2 does not. If your circuit uses an off-delay so a machine can coast to a stop before a guard releases, the non-delay version removes that function entirely while appearing to work.

P series, plug-in terminals

Legacy numbered series

These predate the X naming and are long out of production. We still get enquiries for them.

Confirmed order numbers

PNOZ X3, all voltage variants

All are 3 n/o, 1 n/c and 1 signalling output.

Other confirmed numbers

Two-hand and one-hand control relays

Other models in these families include P2HZ X1P, P2HZ X1.10P, P2HZ X4P, P2HZ 5, P2HZ 5.1, P2HZ 6 and P1HZ 2.

Related legacy families

The service life graph, and why it matters

An important detail from the Pilz operating manuals that is easy to miss.

Pilz states that the relay outputs' safety-related characteristic data is only valid if the values in the service life graph are met.

In plain terms: the Performance Level or Category you are claiming for that relay depends on it being operated within its rated contact load and switching frequency. Run the contacts harder than the graph allows and the safety rating no longer holds, even though the relay still functions.

If a PNOZ relay is failing repeatedly in service, that is worth checking before simply fitting another one. The contacts may be doing more work than the relay is rated for.

A response time figure

From the PNOZ X3 operating manual: maximum response time on power failure is 70 ms.

Relay response time feeds into safety distance calculations for guards and light curtains. A substitute with a different response time changes the required distance.

Important: safety replacements

Safety components are certified as part of a machine's safety function, with a rated Category or Performance Level.

A like-for-like replacement of the same order number preserves that assessment. A substitution may not. A relay with different contact configuration, different response time, or without delayed contacts can change the achieved Performance Level even if it physically fits and appears to work.

We will supply the exact order number you specify. If you ask us to suggest an alternative we will tell you what we think is equivalent and what differs, but the decision on whether a substitution is valid for your safety function belongs to whoever is responsible for the machine's safety assessment. We are a parts supplier, not your safety engineer.

What we can supply

Mature and discontinued. The full classic PNOZ X range across all voltage variants, the legacy numbered series, P2HZ and P1HZ, PST and PZE. Surplus and tested used.

Current production. The P series with plug-in terminals, and PNOZsigma as the current equivalent. Quoted with a delivered lead time.

The awkward voltage variants are where we earn our keep. A machine with a PNOZ X3 at 110 V AC or 42 V AC needs that exact part, and those are not stocked locally by anyone.

We buy PNOZ

If you are decommissioning a machine, the safety relays are worth money to plants running the same generation. Do not scrap them. See Sell To Us.

Related

Pilz overview.

For equivalent safety ranges from other brands see Allen-Bradley Guardmaster, Omron safety and Siemens SIRIUS.

Send us your order numbers

The six or seven digit number is what we need, because the model name alone does not identify the voltage variant or terminal type. If the label is unreadable, tell us the coil voltage and contact configuration. Quotes in NZD including GST.

Request a quote

Industech is an independent supplier of new, surplus and used industrial automation equipment. We are not an authorised distributor of, approved by, sanctioned by, or affiliated with Pilz GmbH & Co. KG. Pilz, PNOZ, PNOZsigma and PNOZelog are trademarks of Pilz GmbH & Co. KG. All trademarks, brand names and order numbers are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification purposes only. Information on this page is for identification and does not constitute a safety assessment.