65 A at 480 V — the number that decides the motor load
The 3RT2038-3AP06 is rated 65 A at 480 V in AC-3 duty, which is the motor-switching rating that governs the real-world load it can handle — not the AC-1 resistive rating, which would be higher. For a 480 V motor drawing 65 A full-load, this contactor sits right at the nameplate, so you'd typically step up one frame for headroom if the application cycles hard. It's part of the SIRIUS family, Siemens' standard power contactor line, and the S2 frame size tells you the mechanical interlock and accessory kit it takes — that matters when you're building a reversing or star-delta starter.
DIN-rail fit and panel space
Width is 75 mm, depth 130 mm, height 114 mm — that 75 mm width is three 25 mm module slots on a standard DIN rail, so when you're laying out a panel, this contactor eats three positions. Skimp on these and you risk tracking or restricted heat dissipation.
Switching frequency and coil draw
Maximum operating cycles per hour: 700 at AC-1, 500 at AC-3, 350 at AC-2, 150 at AC-4. For a motor starting application, the AC-3 ceiling of 500 operations/hour is the one to watch — that's about 8 starts per minute, which is fine for most conveyors and pumps but tight for high-cycle stamping or indexing. If you're driving this from a PLC output, make sure the output can handle that surge; a typical 24 VDC digital output at 0.5 A continuous won't cut it without an interposing relay.
Termination and wiring
No screw tightening, no torque spec to verify, which saves time on a panel build. The auxiliary switch is listed as 'No', meaning this variant ships without factory-fitted aux contacts — you add them separately if needed.