Meaning of "ASI" in Omron G2R Series Relay Part Numbers

The string “ASI” in Omron G2R series relay part numbers mean they use a special contact plating of AgSnIn, which was claimed to have superior inrush current handling capability compared to the standard AgCdO contacts of the pre-RoHS period G2R series relays.

However, when Omron redesigned their standard relays to pass RoHS, the new contacts had improved performance, minimizing the advantage of the special plating of the “ASI” versions. Here is a quote from our Product Manager:

"Indium was used before RoHS came into effect as a relay marketed in Asia. It was the alternative to the Silver plated relay today that we carry. The only good thing about Indium is it’s very hard and can be polished to combat pitting. They do a similar thing with the Silver contacts today to get similar results.

I would not be worried about replacing our current RoHS relay in place of the Indium relay because you don’t lose much on inrush anymore. They improved the silver pitting issue that they first had going into RoHS."

Therefore, in most applications, one should be able to use the newer RoHS compliant variant of the standard G2R relay in place of the special “ASI” variant and expect similar performance. To find the standard version of the part number, simply remove the “ASI” portion from the part number string.

Example “ASI” part number:

G2R-14-ASI-AC120

Improved post-RoHS standard part with similar performance:

G2R-14-AC120

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