The Siemens SIRIUS 3RT1046-1AT60 is a size S3 power contactor built for motor switching and resistive loads in industrial control panels. It snaps onto standard 35 mm or 75 mm DIN rail and carries screw-type terminals on the main circuit — no special tooling needed at the panel builder's bench. Rated 55 kW at 500 V and 45 kW at AC-2 duty at 400 V, this contactor handles the motor-starting curve of pumps, fans, and compressors within that power band. The AC-3 rating at 850 operations per hour covers normal motor running; AC-4 at 250 ops/h covers reversing or inching applications where the contacts make and break under load. Mechanical life is 10 million cycles typical, and the coil pulls in reliably across 0.8 to 1.1 times rated voltage at 60 Hz — the hold current at 24 V is 10 A, dropping to 2 A at 60 V. Arcing time on AC is 10 to 25 ms; the specified arcing time narrows to 10 to 15 ms under rated conditions.
Mounting and Wiring
Fastens with screws or snaps onto 35 mm and 75 mm standard mounting rail. Side-by-side mounting is permitted, so a multi-contactor motor starter group packs tightly on the rail without derating the thermal envelope — provided ambient stays within -25 to +60 °C operating range. Main circuit screw terminals accept stranded conductors from 10 to 50 mm² (2x) and solid or stranded from 2.5 to 16 mm² (2x). Control circuit solid wire range is 0.5 to 4 mm² (2x). Pollution degree 3 means the contactor is rated for conductive-dust industrial environments typical of a non-sealed panel.
Protection and Environment
Front face carries IP20 protection with the supplied cover or box terminal — touch-safe for panel wiring. The terminal body itself is rated IP00 (no finger protection at the unguarded connection points). Storage range extends from -55 to +80 °C, which covers most warehouse and shipping conditions without special climate control.