The VW3A46168 is a passive filter from Schneider Electric's Altivar accessory range, designed to reduce current harmonics drawn by variable speed drives. It sits between the line supply and the drive input, cleaning up the current waveform so the installation meets IEC 61000-3-2, IEC 61000-3-4, IEC 61000-3-12, and the UK G5/4 engineering recommendation. Rated at 95 A input and 99 A output on a 480 V ±10 % three-phase supply at 60 Hz ±2 %, it handles continuous motor loads up to 45 kW or 60 hp on ATV630, ATV650, ATV930, and ATV950 drives, and up to 55 kW or 75 hp on ATV61H, ATV61W, ATV71H, and ATV71W drives. One filter per drive is required — no sharing across multiple drives. The THDI (total harmonic current distortion) it achieves depends on the drive model: 5 % on the newer ATV630/650/930/950 platforms at 45 kW, and 10 % on the older ATV61/71 platforms at 55 kW.
The 5 % THDI figure on ATV630/650/930/950 drives means the line current distortion stays under 5 % of fundamental at rated load — well within the G5/4 planning levels for most industrial grids. On older ATV61/71 drives the same filter delivers 10 % THDI, still compliant with IEC 61000-3-12 but worth noting if your site has a strict harmonic budget. Power factor correction is inherent: cos φ reaches 0.99 at 100 % line current, 1.0 at 150 % overload, and 0.85 at light load (75 % current). That means the filter compensates reactive current from the drive's DC bus, so you don't need separate PFC capacitors on the line side. It can handle 1.5× nominal current for 60 seconds — enough to ride through the drive's inrush and acceleration peaks without saturating the magnetics. Thermal losses are 747 W at full rating, so factor that into your enclosure ventilation. Efficiency runs 98 %, meaning 2 % of the throughput power is lost as heat. Operating temperature range is 5 °C to 45 °C without derating; above 45 °C up to 60 °C you must derate current by 3 % per °C. Altitude derating kicks in above 1000 m at 5 % per additional 1000 m. Storage range is -25 °C to 55 °C in original packaging, -25 °C to 65 °C during transport.
Physical integration and wiring
The filter carries IP20 protection as a standalone component; when mounted inside an enclosure it achieves IP55. Vibration resistance is 2 mm peak-to-peak at 5–13.2 Hz and 0.7 gn at 13.2–150 Hz per IEC 60068-2-6, so it holds up on machine-mounted panels. Power terminals (X1-1 through X2-3) accept 10–70 mm² conductors; the control terminals (A, B) take 2.5 mm². Insulation class F means the windings withstand 155 °C hot-spot temperature — standard for industrial passive filters in this power band. Relative humidity range is 5–85 % without condensation, so it's fine for non-condensing indoor environments but not rated for direct washdown despite the IP55 enclosure mount.