What this contactor is and what it handles
The Siemens 3RT2038-1AL20 is a SIRIUS-brand power contactor in the S2 frame size, built for switching motor loads and resistive circuits in control panels. Its headline motor rating is 65 A at 480 V in AC-3 duty — that's the current it can make and break under full-load motor starting, so it handles 3-phase induction motors up to that draw without welding the main contacts. Screw-type terminals on the magnet coil and main contacts mean you land field wiring with a standard screwdriver — no special crimp tool or ferrule kit required on the van. The contactor mounts via screw or snap-on onto 35 mm DIN rail per DIN EN 60715, and the mounting position allows +/-180° rotation on a vertical surface plus +/-22.5° tilt forward/backward, so it fits odd panel layouts without a bracket. Mechanical endurance is rated at 10,000,000 operating cycles typical, and the switching rates vary by duty: up to 700 cycles/hour for AC-1 resistive loads, 500 for AC-3 motor starting, and 150 for AC-4 plugging/reversing. That gives a realistic picture of how hard you can run it in different applications.
Key dimensions and clearances
The 3RT2038-1AL20 measures 114 mm high, 55 mm wide, and 130 mm deep. For panel layout, it needs 10 mm clearance upwards and forwards, 10 mm downwards, and 6 mm at the sides. That 130 mm depth is the dimension that matters most when fitting a shallow enclosure — it's the full body depth including the coil terminals.
Environmental range
Operating temperature spans -25 to +60 °C during operation, with storage from -55 to +80 °C. That's a wide enough window for most indoor industrial environments and unheated warehouses.