The Schneider Electric ENW24242 is a 4-pole EasyPact NW air circuit breaker rated at 2500 A continuous at 40 °C ambient — that is the full-load current it carries without derating in a typical switchroom environment. The 50 kA Icu at 440 V AC (per IEC 60947-2) tells you the maximum fault current it can interrupt once and remain functional; the service breaking capacity Ics is the same 50 kA at that voltage, meaning it can clear a fault and be reclosed without immediate replacement — a critical distinction for selectivity studies and maintenance planning. Rated insulation voltage Ui is 1000 V AC, and rated impulse withstand Uimp is 12 kV — these govern the creepage and clearance distances inside the breaker. With pollution degree 4 per IEC 60664-1, the ENW24242 is designed for harsh industrial atmospheres where conductive dust or condensation is present; the IP40 enclosure keeps tools and fingers out but is not sealed against water ingress. The short-time withstand current Icw is 50 kA for 1 second at 440 V, which supports delayed tripping for downstream selectivity coordination — you can set the trip curve so a feeder breaker clears a fault before this main breaker opens, keeping the rest of the bus live.
Integration into the switchboard
Fixed mounting on a base plate — no draw-out cradle. The rear connection pitch is 115 mm without spreader, horizontal or vertical orientation. Dimensions are 537 mm wide by 352 mm high by 297 mm deep; verify the compartment depth in your switchboard before committing, as the 297 mm projection plus cable bending radius drives the enclosure depth. Push-button control on the front panel. The neutral is on the right-hand pole position.
Mechanical endurance is 20,000 cycles with maintenance, 10,000 without. Electrical endurance at 440 V AC is 5,000 cycles without maintenance under Category B duty (the breaker is designed for distribution, not frequent motor switching). Maximum breaking time is 25 ms; maximum closing response time is 70 ms.