What This Contactor Is Built For
The Siemens 3RT2046-1AP60 is a SIRIUS power contactor in size S3, designed for switching motor loads in control panels. It comes with screw-type magnet coil terminals and includes an integral auxiliary switch so you don't always have to add a separate block. Mounts on standard 35 mm DIN rail per EN 60715 – screw or snap-on – and you can rotate it ±180° on a vertical surface, plus tilt it ±22.5° forward or backward. That flexibility helps when you're laying out a crowded panel. Dimensions are 152 mm deep, 70 mm wide, and 140 mm high – enough clearance for wiring access but note the 10 mm minimum clearance required upwards, downwards, and sideways, plus 20 mm forwards for arcing and cooling.
Terminal Capacity and Wiring
Main terminals accept solid conductors from 2.5 to 16 mm², or stranded from 6 to 70 mm² – that covers most motor branch circuit feeds for an S3 size. The auxiliary circuit uses smaller terminals: 2 x (0.5 to 1.5 mm²) or 2 x (0.75 to 2.5 mm²) solid or stranded. All terminals are screw-type, so no special crimping tool needed beyond a good screwdriver. Operating ambient temperature range is -25 to +60 °C; storage range is -55 to +80 °C. That's wide enough for most indoor panels, but if you mount it near a heat source, keep the clearance numbers in mind. The contactor is rated for switching frequencies depending on duty: AC-1 resistive loads up to 900 operations per hour, AC-3 motor loads up to 850 operations per hour (or 850 for AC-3e as well), AC-2 up to 350, and AC-4 up to 250. If you're cycling a motor on and off rapidly, let me show you why you keep below those limits – beyond them, contact life drops fast.