Siemens 3RT1346-1AP00 SIRIUS Power Contactor — Size S3, 53 kW at 230 V
The Siemens 3RT1346-1AP00 is a SIRIUS-brand power contactor in size S3, rated at 53 kW at 230 V 50 Hz with an insulation voltage of 1000 V and surge voltage resistance of 6 kV. It is currently in the active lifecycle stage. This contactor uses screw-type terminals for both the main current circuit and the auxiliary/control circuit, and mounts via screw or snap-on onto 35 mm or 75 mm standard DIN rail. The 1000 V insulation voltage and pollution degree 3 rating mean it is designed for industrial environments where conductive dust or condensation may be present — the creepage distances are sized for that duty class.
Ratings and What They Mean for Fit
The 53 kW rating at 230 V 50 Hz is the motor load it can switch under AC-3 duty at 60 °C ambient — the thermal derating is already baked into that figure. At 40 °C the minimum permissible cable cross-section is 50 mm²; at 60 °C it drops to 35 mm², which tells you the contactor's internal heat rise is the limiting factor, not the cable. The auxiliary contact ratings cover the control voltage range you are likely to see: 10 A at 24 V, 6 A at 230 V, 3 A at 400 V. The 400 V 3 A figure is the one to check if you are switching a 400 V control transformer or a small valve coil. Mechanical life is 10 million operations; the maximum switching rate at AC-1 is 1000 cycles per hour. For high-duty-cycle applications like conveyor indexing or compressor cycling, that rate sets the practical ceiling — sustained operation above it will shorten contact life.
Mounting and Wiring
The contactor accepts stranded conductors from 2x (10... 50 mm²) for the main circuit, and solid conductors from 2x (0.5... 1.5 mm²) up to 2x (0.75... 4 mm²) for the auxiliary circuit. The AWG equivalent for the main contacts is 2x (10... 1/0). Side-by-side mounting is permitted, which is useful when you are packing multiple contactors into a motor control centre bucket — no derating required for adjacent units as long as ambient stays within the -25 to +60 °C operating range. The IP20 rating on the front with a cover or box terminal means the front face is finger-safe in a closed panel; the terminal itself is IP00, so live parts are exposed during wiring — standard practice for panel builders.
Protection Coordination
With type of assignment 2 (no damage to the contactor under short circuit), the required upstream fuse is gL/gG 160 A. That is the maximum fuse size that still protects the contactor — if your panel uses a smaller fuse or a motor circuit protector, coordination may still hold, but 160 A is the verified limit. The arcing time is 10 to 15 ms, and the total break time at AC is 10 to 25 ms. That is fast enough to limit let-through energy for most downstream components, but if you are coordinating with a sensitive solid-state overload relay, check the relay's own clearing time against the contactor's arc duration.
Compliance and Environmental
The substance prohibition date of 05/01/2012 aligns with the original RoHS compliance deadline — the contactor meets RoHS and REACH requirements for the EU market. Storage temperature range is -55 to +80 °C, which exceeds the operating range; that limit governs handling and transport, not running conditions.