What the 38 A AC-3 rating means for your load
The LC1E3810B5 is a 3-pole contactor from Schneider Electric's Easy TeSys Control range, rated 38 A in AC-3 duty at ≤440 V — that's the motor-switching category per EN/IEC 60947-4-1, so it handles inrush and breaking of squirrel-cage induction motors up to that current. The same contactor is also rated AC-1 for resistive loads and AC-3e for enhanced motor switching, giving you a single part for mixed load types in a panel. Coil is 24 V AC, 50 Hz, with one N/O auxiliary contact built in.
Mounting and integration into a panel
IP2X finger protection on the contactor body means it's safe for open-panel layouts where incidental contact is possible.
Environmental tolerance and compliance
Rated for operation from -5 °C to 55 °C ambient, storage from -60 °C to 80 °C, and full performance up to 3000 m altitude without derating. Protective treatment TH conforming to IEC 60068-2-30 (pollution degree 3) means it handles damp-heat conditions in non-condensing environments — relevant for unheated enclosures or humid process areas.
