Industrial Control & Automation in Canada: Contactors, Starters, Fuses & Sensors
Hard-to-find IEC control gear — Lovato, Littelfuse, Mersen & HTM — stocked in Canada with CAD pricing and fast shipping.
Industrial control gear is the switching, protection and sensing hardware that runs motors and machinery — contactors, motor starters, relays, fuses and sensors. Maple Electric Supply stocks hard-to-find IEC components (Lovato, Littelfuse, Mersen, HTM) in Canada with CAD pricing and fast shipping.
Safety note: Maple is a supply-only distributor — not a licensed electrician or engineer. Sizing, short-circuit coordination, and installation of industrial control and motor circuits must be done by a qualified electrician or engineer in accordance with the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) and your provincial authority. Use this page to understand options, then confirm every selection with your professional.
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What is industrial control gear?
Industrial control gear is the family of components that switch, protect, sequence and sense power for motors, pumps, conveyors, HVAC plant and automated machinery. In a typical control panel you'll find power-switching devices (contactors and motor starters), protection (fuses, fuse holders and overload relays), control and signalling devices (push buttons, pilot lights, selector switches) and sensors (proximity and photoelectric) that feed status back to a controller or PLC.
Most industrial gear in Canada follows the IEC standard form factor — compact, DIN-rail-mountable and modular — which is what panel builders, OEMs and maintenance teams specify. Maple stocks IEC components from brands like Lovato, Littelfuse, Mersen and HTM Sensors.
Contactor vs relay vs motor starter — what's the difference?
These three get mixed up constantly because they all switch a load. The difference is current rating and built-in protection:
- Relay — a low-current switch used for control logic and signalling (interlocks, sequencing, switching small loads). It does not provide motor overload protection.
- Contactor — a heavy-duty electrically-operated switch built to make and break motor-level load currents repeatedly. On its own it switches power but does not protect against a sustained overload.
- Motor starter — a contactor plus an overload relay (and often short-circuit protection), packaged to both switch and protect a motor. This is what you use to start and stop a motor safely.
| Component type | Function | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Control / interface relay | Low-current switching for logic, interlocks and signalling | PLC output isolation, sequencing, switching pilot devices |
| Contactor | Makes/breaks load current; no inherent overload protection | Switching motors, heaters, lighting banks, capacitor loads |
| Overload relay | Detects sustained over-current and trips the contactor | Paired with a contactor to protect a motor winding |
| Motor starter | Contactor + overload (and often short-circuit protection) | Safe start/stop and protection of a single motor |
| Manual motor starter / protector | Hand-operated switching with built-in thermal/magnetic protection | Compact motor branch protection and local disconnect |
Shop these at Contactors, Manual Motor Starters and Lovato.
How do I size a contactor or motor starter?
Sizing is an engineering decision — these notes explain the vocabulary so you can have a productive conversation with your electrician or engineer, who must confirm the final selection against the CEC and the motor nameplate.
- FLA (Full Load Amps) — the motor's rated running current, taken from the nameplate. Contactor and overload selection start here.
- Utilization category (duty) — IEC rates contactors by what they switch. AC-1 is for non-inductive or slightly inductive loads (resistive heating, distribution) and allows a higher current. AC-3 is for squirrel-cage motors that must break running current — the same physical contactor carries a lower AC-3 rating than its AC-1 rating because motor breaking is more punishing.
- Poles — three-phase motor switching typically uses a 3-pole contactor; 4-pole devices are used where a switched neutral or additional pole is needed.
- Overload setting — the overload relay must be set to the motor FLA (adjusted for service factor) so it trips before the winding is damaged.
- Coil voltage & auxiliary contacts — confirm the control-circuit coil voltage (e.g. 24V, 120V, 240V) and the auxiliary contacts your control scheme needs.
Do not size off this page. Always match a contactor's AC-3 rating (not AC-1) to a motor application, and have a qualified professional verify FLA, duty, coordination and overload settings.
Lovato IEC contactors at Maple range from compact units (e.g. a 32A 3-pole around $324 CAD) up to larger frames (e.g. a 38A 3/4-pole around $827 CAD), with matching RF-series overload relays and motor starters — see each product page for the exact ratings, coil voltage and price.
Which fuse class do I need? (Class J, CC, RK5, midget)
Fuse class defines the physical dimensions, voltage/interrupting rating and time-current behaviour. The class is specified by the panel design and protection scheme — match the class your drawings or equipment call for; never substitute a class without engineering sign-off. The notes below are general characteristics only.
| Fuse class | General characteristics | Typical application |
|---|---|---|
| Class J | Compact, high interrupting rating; current-limiting; rejection-style mounting prevents lower-rated substitution. Available time-delay and fast-acting. | Motor and transformer circuits, control panels where space and high fault current matter |
| Class CC | Small (10×38mm) current-limiting fuse with a rejection feature and high interrupting rating. | Control transformers, branch circuits, lighting and small motor loads |
| Class RK5 | Time-delay, current-limiting cartridge fuse; widely used, dimensionally interchangeable with older RK styles. | General-purpose motor, transformer and mixed loads in legacy and new panels |
| Midget (10×38mm) | Compact supplementary/branch fuse; available fast-acting and time-delay; lower interrupting rating than CC. | Supplementary protection, control circuits, small loads in tight enclosures |
Maple stocks Littelfuse (including the JTD Class J time-delay series and RK5), Mersen fuses, and Techspan DIN-rail fuse holders. Shop Littelfuse, Mersen and Fuse Blocks & Holders.
Sensors & pilot devices — what's available?
Beyond power switching, control panels need sensing and operator interface hardware:
- Proximity sensors — inductive sensors that detect metal targets without contact, used for position, presence and counting. From HTM Sensors.
- Photoelectric sensors — detect objects optically (through-beam, retro-reflective, diffuse) for longer-range or non-metallic detection.
- Push buttons, pilot lights & selector switches — the operator interface for start/stop, e-stop, mode selection and status indication. Shop Push Buttons & Pilot Devices.
Confirm voltage, output type (NPN/PNP, NO/NC), sensing range and enclosure rating on each product page, and verify the device matches your controller's inputs.
Quoting a project? Send us your BOM.
Panel builders, OEMs and facilities teams — we'll confirm stock, CAD pricing and lead times.
Request a Quote or ask our counter team →Why is industrial control gear so hard to find in Canada — and how Maple helps
Industrial control components are notoriously hard to source in Canada: many lines are spread across specialist distributors, minimum-order and account requirements lock out small buyers, lead times run long, and finding a single IEC part with a clear CAD price and CSA-recognized equivalent can mean calling three suppliers. For a panel builder waiting on one contactor or a maintenance team that needs a fuse today, that friction stops work.
Maple's role is to make these components findable and orderable online — IEC contactors, starters, relays, fuses, holders and sensors from established brands, with transparent CAD pricing, stock visibility and fast Canada-wide shipping. If you can't find an exact part, send us the part number or a photo and we'll help you locate the right category or equivalent. We do not engineer your panel — we get you the parts your engineer specified.
Do I need an electrician or engineer?
Yes. Selecting, coordinating and installing industrial control and motor circuits is qualified work. A licensed electrician or a professional engineer must handle device sizing, short-circuit and overload coordination, panel design, and installation — all in compliance with the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) and your provincial authority (such as the Electrical Safety Authority in Ontario). Maple supplies the components; your professional makes the engineering and installation decisions. When in doubt, defer to them.
Shop industrial control at Maple
Browse the categories that make up a typical control panel — all with CAD pricing and Canada-wide shipping:
- Automation & Control → — the full industrial control catalogue in one place.
- Lovato → — IEC contactors, overload relays and motor starters.
- Contactors → — power-switching devices for motors and loads.
- Manual Motor Starters → — hand-operated switching with built-in protection.
- Fuse Blocks & Holders → — DIN-rail and panel-mount holders, including Techspan.
- Littelfuse → — Class J (JTD), RK5 and control fuses.
- Mersen → — current-limiting and industrial fuses.
- Push Buttons & Pilot Devices → — start/stop, e-stop, selectors and indicators.
- HTM Sensors → — proximity and photoelectric sensors.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a contactor and a motor starter?
A contactor switches load current but has no built-in overload protection. A motor starter is a contactor combined with an overload relay (and often short-circuit protection), so it can both switch and protect a motor.
What does AC-3 mean on a contactor?
AC-3 is the IEC utilization category for switching squirrel-cage motors at running current. A contactor's AC-3 rating is lower than its AC-1 (resistive) rating, so motor applications must be sized to the AC-3 figure — confirmed by a qualified professional.
What fuse class should I use?
Use the class specified by your panel design or equipment — Class J, CC, RK5 and midget differ in size, interrupting rating and time-current behaviour. Don't substitute a class without engineering sign-off.
Are these IEC components CSA-approved for use in Canada?
Industrial equipment in Canada must carry an approval mark from a recognized certification body (such as CSA or cUL). Check the certification on each product page and confirm acceptability with your inspector — see our guide to Canadian approval marks.
Can Maple size a contactor or design my panel?
No. Maple is a supply-only distributor. Sizing, coordination and panel design must be done by a licensed electrician or engineer. We supply the components your professional specifies.
Do you ship industrial control parts across Canada?
Yes. Maple ships IEC contactors, starters, fuses, holders and sensors Canada-wide with CAD pricing. Confirm current shipping options at checkout or request a quote for larger orders.
Can I get a quote for a full bill of materials?
Yes — panel builders, OEMs and facilities teams can send a BOM or part list through our Request a Quote page and we'll confirm stock, CAD pricing and lead times.
What brands of industrial control gear does Maple carry?
Maple stocks Lovato (IEC contactors, overload relays, motor starters), Littelfuse and Mersen (fuses), Techspan (DIN-rail fuse holders) and HTM Sensors (proximity and photoelectric), among others.
- CSA Group — Canadian standards and certification
- Electrical Safety Authority (Ontario) — provincial electrical safety authority
- International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) — international standards for control gear
- Littelfuse — manufacturer fuse documentation
- Lovato Electric — manufacturer contactor & starter documentation
- Mersen — manufacturer fuse & protection documentation