The earliest electrical relays were developed in the 1830s, as people began to recognize that such switches could be extremely useful. Historically, electrical relays were often made with electromagnets, which continue to be used today, although for some applications solid state relays are preferred.
They key difference between electromagnetic and solid state options is that electromagnetic relays have moving parts, and solid state relays do not. Electromagnets also conserve more energy than their solid state counterparts do.
General purpose industrial control relays are available in ice cube, card relay, and solid state relay styles for use in a wide range of applications.