What this contactor is and where it lands
The Siemens SIRIUS 3RT1016-1AM15 is a Size S00 power contactor with three normally open main contacts, built for switching motor loads in control panels. It snaps onto a 35 mm DIN rail per EN 50022, or can be screw-mounted — the same footprint as every other S00 frame contactor in the SIRIUS family, so it swaps in without re-drilling the backplate. Rated for 5.5 kW at 690 V AC and 4.5 kW at 500 V AC, it handles the usual 400 V three-phase motor circuit comfortably. The AC-4 rating at 400 V is 8.5 A — that's the plugging / inching duty cycle, which is the one that actually governs contactor life in reversing or jogging applications. The AC-2 rating at 400 V is 4 kW, covering slip-ring motor starts. Mechanical life is typical 30 million operations, so it's not a short-life commodity part. Pollution degree 3 means it's rated for industrial environments where conductive dust or occasional condensation is expected. Operating temperature spans -25 to +60 °C, and altitude is limited to 2 000 m without derating.
Panel fit and wiring
Width is 45 mm, height 57.5 mm, depth 114 mm — the S00 envelope. Side-by-side mounting is allowed with zero gap, so you can pack a row of these on a DIN rail without wasting panel width. The front face is IP20, finger-safe for the enclosure interior. Main circuit terminals are screw-type, accepting solid or stranded wire: 2x (0.5 to 1.5 mm²), 2x (0.75 to 2.5 mm²), or max 2x (0.75 to 4 mm²). AWG equivalents are 2x (20 to 16), 2x (18 to 14), and single 12 AWG. Strip length is standard for a screw clamp — no push-in convenience here, but the terminal is the same across the S00 line, so your panel builders already know the torque spec.
Coordination and protection
For Type 2 coordination (no damage to the contactor after a short circuit) the required upstream fuse is gL/gG 20 A. For Type 1 coordination (contactor may need replacement after a fault) the fuse can be gL/gG 35 A. These are the manufacturer's specified values for the main circuit — use them to size the branch protection without over-fusing.