The Schneider Electric TeSys F LC3F330E7 is a pre-wired star delta starter designed for motor control under AC-3 utilisation category — the standard for squirrel-cage motors during starting, accelerating, and running. It's a complete assembly: three 3-pole contactors (3 x 3P) with the interlocking and timing built in, not a loose pile of parts you wire up on the panel floor. Motor power capability spans 160 kW at 220/230 V AC, 280 kW at 380/400 V or 415 V AC, and 315 kW at 440 V AC — all at 50/60 Hz. That's the headline number for BOM fit: match your line voltage to the kW column. The control circuit is 48 V AC 50/60 Hz, with an operational voltage window of 0.85...1.1 Uc and drop-out at 0.35...0.55 Uc. Inrush power at 20 °C is 650 VA. That matters for transformer sizing in the panel — don't undersize the control transformer.
Rated making capacity is 3300 A and rated breaking capacity is 2640 A per IEC 60947-4-1. These aren't just numbers — they tell you the starter can close onto and interrupt a locked-rotor current without welding or excessive arc damage. The associated fuse recommendation is 500 A gG or 400 A aM up to 440 V, so coordination with upstream protection is already mapped. Rated insulation voltage is 1000 V per IEC 60947-4-1 and 1500 V per VDE 0110 group C. Mechanical durability is 10 million cycles. For a star delta starter that's high — these aren't cycled as fast as a line contactor in a welding press, but if you're running a pump that starts once per hour, that's over 100 years of life. Closing time is 40...65 ms, opening 100...170 ms. That's fast enough for most motor starts; the 20-second starting time on the timer is what governs the transition from star to delta, not the contactor speed.
Physical integration and environment
Mounting is plate-based — no DIN rail for this size. Dimensions are 28.5 in wide, 10.9 in deep, 4.3 in tall. That's a big footprint; plan your enclosure layout accordingly. Power circuit connections are bolted with M10 bolts, accepting busbars up to 30 x 5 mm or ring terminals up to 240 mm². Control circuit uses screw clamp terminals for 1...4 mm² flexible or solid wire. IP20 on the front face with shrouds per IEC 60529 and VDE 0106 — that's touch-safe but not washdown. The protective treatment is TH (tropicalized), so it handles humidity and condensation better than a standard industrial coating. Mechanical robustness: contactor open withstands 2 Gn vibration 5...300 Hz, closed 5 Gn. Shock rating is 15 Gn closed for 11 ms. That's standard industrial — fine for pump skids and conveyor drives, not mil-spec.