What it is and what it does
The Schneider Electric CR1F265GZ7 is a 3-pole bistable magnetic contactor from the TeSys F range, rated for switching motor loads up to 265 A in AC-3 duty at 440 V. The "bistable" (latching) design means the coil only draws power to change state — 500 W DC for latching, 40 W DC for unlatching — and then holds the contacts magnetically without continuous coil power. This makes it a fit for applications where sustained coil heating is undesirable or where a momentary control pulse is preferred, such as in remote or UPS-backed panels.
Key ratings and what they mean for fit
The headline rating is 265 A in AC-3 (motor switching) at 440 V, but note the part also carries a 350 A rating in AC-1 (resistive) at 40 °C. The AC-3 figure governs motor starting duty; the AC-1 figure governs resistive or lightly inductive loads. For a motor circuit, the 265 A AC-3 rating is the one to size against. Breaking capacity is specified across several voltages: 2450 A at 220…440 V, 2200 A at 500 V, 1700 A at 600…690 V, and 800 A at 1000 V. This means the contactor can safely interrupt fault currents up to those levels at the respective operating voltages — a key parameter for coordination with upstream protection. The control circuit is designed for 127 V DC, with a latching voltage range of 0.85…1.1 Uc and unlatching range of 0.85…1.1 Uc. The coil is low-consumption type, drawing 500 W during the latching pulse and 40 W during the unlatching pulse. This is not a continuous-duty coil; the power is only drawn during the state transition. Mechanical durability is rated at 1,000,000 cycles. The maximum operating rate is 120 cycles per minute at 40 °C, which is fast enough for most conveyor and pump cycling but not for high-speed indexing. Operating time is 45…50 ms for latching and 50…100 ms for unlatching. Power dissipation per pole is 22 W in AC-3 and 39 W in AC-1. This matters for enclosure thermal management — at full AC-1 load, three poles dissipate 117 W, which must be considered in the panel heat budget. Associated fuse ratings for the power circuit are 315 A aM, 400 A BS88, or 400 A gG — these are the maximum recommended fuse sizes for short-circuit protection. The rated insulation voltage (Ui) for the control circuit is 1000 V conforming to IEC 60947-4 and other standards.
Where it is used
This contactor is intended for switching three-phase motor loads in industrial control panels — pumps, fans, compressors, conveyors — within its AC-3 rating. The bistable coil suits applications where a sustained control signal is not available or where minimizing coil power consumption is a priority. The TH protective treatment indicates suitability for tropical/humid environments. Operating altitude is 3000 m without derating, and ambient temperature range is -15…70 °C.