Functional Devices, Inc. manufactures custom-engineered and white-label power relays for building automation OEMs. Companies who need relays with particular specifications, but who want to avoid the complexities and costs associated with testing and building them, can partner with us instead. Functional Devices has customized components for OEMs since 1969. Just like our RIB® (Relay-In-a-Box®) product line, every relay we produce is ISO-certified and tested before shipment.
What Are “White-Label” and “Custom-Engineered” Relays?
White-label means the relay is made by Functional Devices and carries the OEM’s branding; custom-engineered means that the relay is built to the OEM’s specifications rather than pulled from a catalog. Each of the following can be specified:
Voltage and electrical characteristics. Coil voltage, contact rating, and duty are matched to suit the OEM’s needs.
Form factor. The relay is built to fit an enclosure the OEM already uses, so the surrounding product does not have to be redesigned around a catalog housing.
Mounting. The mounting style is matched to the OEM’s panel and system layout.
Branding and labeling. The OEM’s name and part numbering go on the device.
The result is a relay that reads as part of the OEM’s product line, rather than one that feels like a third-party part. The device carries the OEM’s branding, part number, and labeling conventions, so it fits naturally into the rest of the product family from a documentation, service, and purchasing standpoint. For the end customer, distributor, or service technician, it appears as a native component of the finished product rather than an outside add-on.
That matters beyond appearance. When the relay matches the OEM’s own product language and packaging standards, it is easier to support in manuals, replacement parts lists, and ongoing field service. The OEM keeps a consistent product identity while still relying on Functional Devices for the engineering, manufacturing, testing, and certification work behind the relay itself.
When Building Power Relays In-House Stops Making Sense
Building power relays in-house has a cost, both in terms of time and capital. If an OEM’s focus is not generally on relays, any engineering time spent building one is time not spent working on the OEM’s core product(s). Manufacturing a relay line also comes with tooling, test-equipment, and UL-certification requirements. As the product line expands, overhead expands with it.
Buying a standard part avoids this overhead, but it can introduce other complications. Limitations like housing, coil voltage, and mounting pattern can significantly affect the product being built around the relay, and can introduce additional engineering issues.
White labeling and custom manufacturing are essentially the best of both worlds. You set the specifications and the branding, we deal with any necessary tooling, testing, and certification, and you can return to working on your own core products.
Compliance and Consistency for OEM Relays
Functional Devices builds relays that align with UL and agency requirements, so the component carries its own approvals and the OEM’s product certification does not have to re-derive them from the ground up. That can simplify the path to bringing a finished product to market, because the relay is being specified as a component that was designed with those requirements in mind rather than as an off-the-shelf part that has to be worked around later. For an OEM, that means less risk of discovering late in the design process that a relay choice complicates the larger product’s compliance path.
The specific approvals still need to be confirmed for the exact build, since custom specifications can affect how a relay is evaluated and applied. That is why approval details should be part of the design conversation at the start of the project. But the advantage remains the same: the OEM is working with a relay manufacturer that understands agency requirements and builds the component accordingly, instead of asking the OEM team to solve those issues alone.
Additionally, every unit is tested before it ships, and the production process is ISO-certified. Functional Devices reports a field failure rate of less than 1 in 16,000.
Custom Relays Built on the RIB® Platform
This custom and white-label work builds on the same high-level manufacturing work that Functional Devices has done since 1969. An OEM specifying a custom relay is not starting with an untested concept; they are adapting a proven manufacturing base to fit the voltage, form factor, mounting, and branding requirements of their own product. That matters because customization is being applied to a platform with an established production process rather than to a one-off design with no manufacturing history behind it.
In practical terms, that means an OEM is tuning a proven design to its particular needs rather than commissioning one from scratch, which helps keep a custom part from carrying unnecessary reliability risk. The same manufacturing depth also extends beyond relays alone. Functional Devices applies the same OEM production approach across other building automation product lines, including lighting controls, which gives customers a consistent path if their product family eventually expands beyond a single custom relay program.
Frequently Asked Questions About White-Label Power Relays
What is the difference between white-label and custom-engineered relays?
White-label refers to branding: a relay manufactured by Functional Devices that carries the OEM’s name and part number. Custom-engineered refers to specification: a relay whose voltage, contacts, form factor, and mounting are built to the OEM’s requirements. Most OEM programs combine the two.
What can be customized on a power relay?
Coil voltage, contact rating and duty, form factor to fit an existing enclosure, mounting style, and OEM branding and labeling. The specification is set to the OEM’s product rather than to a standard SKU.
Does a custom relay still meet UL requirements?
Functional Devices builds custom relays to UL and agency requirements, so the component carries its own approvals.
When should an OEM outsource relay manufacturing instead of building in-house?
When the tooling, test-equipment, and certification costs outweigh the value of producing the relay line, or when engineering time is better spent on the core product than on keeping a commodity component in production.
Ready to Specify a Custom or White-Label Relay?
To specify white-label or custom-engineered power relays for a building automation product, contact Functional Devices to begin discussing voltage, form factor, mounting, and labeling for your build.