The Siemens SIMATIC 3RK1301-1AB00-1AA2 is a reversing motor starter designed for controlling the direction of three-phase motors in conveyor, pump, and fan applications. It combines a contactor and overload relay in one compact unit, saving panel space over a discrete contactor-plus-relay build. Rated for CLASS 10 trip protection. The unit mounts pluggable on a terminal module, which means the power and control wiring stays in the panel while the starter module itself can be swapped without disturbing the terminations — a time-saver during commissioning or a line-down replacement.
Supply voltage is 24 V DC nominal, with a permissible range of 20.4 to 28.8 V DC. That 20.4 V floor matters if your control transformer is lightly loaded or you have long cable runs — the starter holds in down to that voltage without dropping out. In a panel with a transformer or bus rated below 50 kA, you still need a coordinated upstream device; this rating gives headroom for high-fault installations. Degree of pollution 3 at 400 V per IEC 60664 / IEC 61131 means the starter is rated for conductive pollution environments — typical in industrial enclosures where dust, moisture, or condensation can be present. At 500 V the pollution class drops to 2, so derate accordingly if your line voltage is higher. Operating frequency is rated up to 750 cycles per hour, so it can handle frequent reversing applications like indexing conveyors or shuttle tables without exceeding thermal limits.
Integration and deployment
The starter is designed for vertical or horizontal mounting, giving flexibility in panel layout. Dimensions are 265 mm high, 90 mm wide, 120 mm deep — fits a standard 90 mm DIN-rail footprint with the terminal module. Communication is dual-protocol: PROFINET and PROFIBUS DP are both supported, so it can integrate into either a Siemens S7 environment or a mixed-vendor network with a PROFIBUS master. The I/O mapping is 1 byte each for inputs and outputs, which is typical for a compact starter — the control word and status word fit in two bytes total. Shock resistance is 5 g / 11 ms, vibration resistance 2 g — suitable for machine-mounted applications near rotating equipment.