Panel fit and wiring
The 3RT2016-2AP02-ZW96 is a size S00 power contactor from the Siemens SIRIUS family, measuring 45 mm wide by 70 mm high by 73 mm deep. It fastens via screw or snap-on onto 35 mm DIN rail per DIN EN 60715, so it integrates into standard control-panel layouts without adapter plates. Spring-type terminals on the magnet coil accept 0.5 to 4 mm² solid or stranded wire (2x per clamp), which speeds wiring and holds firm under vibration — no screw-terminal retorquing needed on a line that cycles hard. Clearance requirements are tight: 10 mm upwards, downwards, and forwards, and only 6 mm at the side. That means you can pack contactors side-by-side on the rail without the usual 20 mm breathing space, which matters when you're squeezing a motor group into a shallow enclosure.
Duty-cycle and switching capability
Rated operational current follows the load type. At AC-3 (squirrel-cage motor starting) the contactor handles 750 operating cycles per hour maximum; at AC-4 (inching, plugging, reversing) that drops to 250 1/h — the arc energy on frequent reversals is what limits it, not the contacts. AC-1 resistive loads can run at 1 000 1/h. The mechanical life is rated at 30 million cycles typical, so the contactor itself outlasts most motor rewinds in moderate-duty conveyor or pump service. Arcing time sits between 10 and 15 ms at AC, and the contactor is rated for a 4 to 15 ms arc duration. That's a short window — the arc chute clears fast enough to keep heat out of the enclosure in a dense panel.
Auxiliary contact ratings
An auxiliary switch is built in. Its rated values across voltages: 10 A at 24 V, 2 A at 48 V, 2 A at 60 V, 1 A at 110 V, 0.9 A at 125 V, 0.3 A at 220 V, 3 A at 400 V, and 0.2 A at 440 V. At 230 V it's rated for 1 hp. That covers most PLC input or pilot-device loads in a 24 VDC or 120 VAC control circuit, but watch the 400 V leg — 3 A is enough for a small contactor coil or indicator lamp, not a motor starter coil.
Environmental and mounting flexibility
Operating temperature range is -25 to +60 °C; storage range is -55 to +80 °C. The contactor can be mounted in any orientation — +/-180° rotation on a vertical surface, and tilted forward/backward by +/-22.5°. That flexibility helps in retrofit panels where the rail is already populated and you're shoehorning in a replacement.