52 A at 480 V — the AC-3 motor rating that decides the fit
The 3RT2036-1AV60 is a SIRIUS S2 power contactor rated 52 A at 480 V — this is the AC-3 switching current for standard squirrel-cage motor duty, not the resistive AC-1 figure. That 52 A at 480 V means it handles a 30 hp motor at 480 V without the contacts welding on break. Main contact configuration is 3 normally-open plus 1 normally-closed (18...1 per the spec), so the NC pole can serve as a mirror contact or auxiliary interlock without an add-on block.
Panel fit: 55 mm wide, 130 mm deep, DIN-rail snap-on
Width is 55 mm — that is three 18 mm module slots plus 1 mm clearance on a standard DIN-rail panel. Side clearance to adjacent devices is 6 mm; forward and upward clearance is 10 mm each. That is tight enough for a 55 mm wide contactor to sit next to a matching overload relay without a spacer.
Switching frequency and coil termination
Maximum mechanical switching rate is 800 operations per hour in AC-3 duty and 1,000 in AC-1. For frequent jogging or inching applications, the AC-4 ceiling of 250 ops/hour is the limiting factor — exceeding that accelerates contact erosion. The auxiliary switch is built in — no separate block needed for the NC mirror contact. Arcing time is 10 to 18 ms at AC — this sets the coordination window for the upstream short-circuit protection device. A 52 A contactor with 18 ms arc time typically coordinates with a 63 A gG fuse or a 50 A circuit breaker at the available fault current.
Active production — no lifecycle concern
The 60 °C ceiling means the contactor can sit in a non-ventilated enclosure up to that ambient without forced cooling, though the coil holding power and contact resistance both rise above 40 °C.