Littelfuse, Inc. has announced that its AF0500 Arc-Flash Relay has been as named a Product of the Year in the Protective Devices category by Electrical Construction & Maintenance (EC&M) magazine.

This is the second Product of the Year Award for the arc flash relay, which in March took home the Gold Award from Plant Engineering magazine. The relay offers easy installation and unique Heartbeat™ indication.

“We are delighted by the continued recognition of the AF0500 relay, which makes it easier than ever to protect workers and equipment from dangerous electrical arc-flash events, said Debra Jayson, marketing manager, Littelfuse.

Plug-and-play installation and a flexible design simplify retrofits and reduce cost. PC configuration is not required, and each input accepts either point- or fiber-optic sensors, saving cost. One AF0500 relay can be set up to trip different zones, eliminating the need to buy separate relays for each zone.

Unlike competing relays, the unique sensors used with the AF0500 are equipped with a visual indicator called Heartbeat™ that allows workers to verify at a glance that the sensors are properly operating and protection is active.

The competition recognizes products that allow electrical professionals to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. The judges evaluated more than 100 submissions and selected the category winners. EC&M subscribers, which include 130,000 professionals in electrical contracting firms, industrial plants, large commercial facilities and consulting electrical engineers, will vote online to select the Platinum, Gold and Silver winners, who will be announced in the summer.

The AF0500 relay uses light sensors to detect arcing faults and send a trip signal to the circuit breaker in less than a millisecond. The reduced trip time lowers the incident energy and helps plants comply with OSHA and NEC standards for arc flash safety.

It combines all the important criteria needed in an arc flash relay — fastest reaction time, system health monitoring, ease of installation, scalability, and application flexibility — to protect workers and reduce downtime.