S3 frame, three-pole, AC coil — what fits where
The Siemens 3RT7046-1AQ00 is a size S3 contactor with three normally-open main contacts for a three-pole circuit. Operating temperature spans -10 to +55 °C, storage from -25 to +70 °C, and installation altitude is limited to 2 000 m above sea level without derating. The mechanical shock resistance is specified at 10.6g for 5 ms and 6.2g for 10 ms — adequate for most stationary industrial applications, but worth noting if the panel is mounted on a vibrating machine base.
Mounting and wiring — DIN rail or screw, with flexibility
Side-by-side mounting is permitted, so no mandatory spacing gaps. Dimensions are 139 mm depth, 70 mm width, 148 mm height. The 70 mm width is the standard S3 footprint — it occupies one 70 mm-wide slot on a DIN rail. Wire sizes accepted: 2x (0.5 to 1.5 mm²) or 2x (0.75 to 2.5 mm²) for solid/stranded and finely stranded with ferrule. The product extension for auxiliary switches is supported, so add-on blocks for signalling or interlocking can be clipped on.
Switching performance and coordination
Maximum operating frequency at AC-3 duty is 800 switching cycles per hour; at AC-4 (plugging/inching) it drops to 250 cycles per hour. The AC-3 rated operational voltage maximum is 690 V. For DC-13 switching at 220 V, the rated operational current is 0.3 A — this is the inductive DC load capability on the auxiliary contacts, not the main poles. With type of coordination 1, the required backup fuse is a gL/gG NH 3NA rated 200 A. This means under a short-circuit fault the contactor may not be reusable (coordination type 1 allows the contactor to be damaged but the installation is safe). If coordination type 2 (contactor remains usable) is needed, a different fuse or a circuit-breaker coordination study is required.
For volume purchases or blanket orders, the same RFQ process applies — no special allocation or minimum-order constraints beyond what the distributor quotes. Compliance documentation typically includes CE marking (low-voltage directive), RoHS, and REACH declarations.