Hey Guys,

I have a heating press that I use in my picture framing shop here in Fort Worth. It has stopped working and I believe I have traced the problem to a solid state relay switch. The heating press company is out of business and I can't get the part through them.

The writing on the switch states that it is a Picker CMPTS, Solid State Relay, Type PCD240AC48,
40 Amp, 250 VAC, Input 4-32VDC.

This means dittily squat to me. Do I have to use this EXACT relay, or can it be substituted for something else?

ANY help you can give me will save me from trashing a $3,600 piece of equipment. Thanks.

Joel Lively
Ft. Worth Texas

 

Joel, you are lucky this is very common part. I found several equivalents at http://www.sordselectric.com/ where you can buy them online. Match the important numbers i.e. 40 Amp, 250 VAC, Input 4-32VDC, then look at the pictures to match the terminals. (Screw on or push on).

To mount the new part, you will need heat sink grease to place between the mounting surface and the back of the relay and then snug the mounting screws pretty tight.

Fred

 

With the ratings that you have specified, you should be able to find a replacement part at any local or national electronic component supply house. Some examples are Digikey, Newark, and Allied Electronics.

If you have any doubt, hire a competant tech for an hour or two... it'll be cheaper in the long run and perhaps... safer!

Gerald Beaudoin

 

Joel

you said the press has stopped working. what has it done, stopped heating or stopped cycling? there could be a number of things that could be wrong. as for the SSR you could get it from any heating supply company.

I agree with gerald it might be best to get a tech in to fix it.

hope this helps
calvin smith
[email protected]

 

Fred... many, many thanks. I can't tell you how many hours I have spent trying to track down this thing. This forum was really my last hope. Thanks again...and if you are ever in Fort Worth and need a picture framed....

Joel

 

Thanks Gerald. I will have to hire a tech to do this because I just don't have the skills. You guys make us novices feel... inferior. Thanks again for the information and advice.

Joel

 

Joel,

http://www.pickercomponents.com,

they have your relay, exact match, no guesing - buy 2 and check the heater as well.

Good luck.

 

Wow... now that's service. Thanks so much.

Joel

 

Hi Calvin,

The press would not come on even though it was getting power. The electrician traced the problem to the relay. So I have no choice but to find it and replace it. I wish I knew how I could find a good tech to come look at it. Thanks again for your reply.

Joel

 

Hey,

You can use any make solid state Relay which has got specifications like your original relay :40 Amp, 250 VAC, Input 4-32VDC. Things will work properly.

Regards,
Ganesh

 

If you have any more problems, give Crouzet a call. They're local (Coppell) and have a nice line of solid state relays. http://www-crouzet-usa.com

Looks like I'm a tad bit late on the conversation. But, you never know when you might need help again!

 

Hello Joel,

It has been a year now and I was wondering if you fixed your heating press?

Ray Dixon

 

My goodness Ray...it's been more than 6 years now and I just found this post. So PLEASE forgive the late late late reply.

It turned out that the electrician we hired to run the outlets in my shop did not use the correct phase...something or other. The next electrician who came out found the problem within 10 minutes... replaces the outlet with the correct one and the press fired right up.

So it was never the switch/relay that was causing the problems. It was inferior hired help. The press has been one of the most used pieces of equipment in the shop for 7 years now and it's still going strong.

Thanks to all who gave their advice. I know where to come if a problem should ever arise again.

Joel