160 A floor — what it means for motor sizing
The 3RW5246-2AC04 sets a minimum operating current of 160 A. This is the lower bound for the motor full-load amps the soft starter can regulate — a 150 A motor is below the floor and the unit will not start it correctly. The minimum load is 15 % relative to the smallest settable Ie, so the actual usable range starts at about 24 A with the right parameterization, but the 160 A floor governs the main power circuit design. Rated voltage covers 200 to 480 V, which spans the common low-voltage motor supplies worldwide — 208 V, 230 V, 400 V, 460 V, 480 V. No need for a separate voltage tap or transformer for most global installations.
Trip class and thermal protection
Trip class is configurable as CLASS 10A (default), 10E, or 20E per IEC 60947-4-2. The soft starter includes auto-reset and remote reset by cycling the 24 V control supply. For an unattended pump station or conveyor, this means the drive restarts after a transient overload without a site visit — but only if the fault clears within the reset cycle.
Panel fit and mounting constraints
Mounting is screw fixing — not DIN-rail snap-on. The unit measures 203 mm deep, 210 mm wide, and 393 mm high. Clearance requirements: 100 mm above, 10 mm in front, 5 mm at the sides, 75 mm below, and 0 mm behind. The 0 mm rear clearance means it can sit flush against a backplate, but the 100 mm top gap is mandatory for convection cooling — skimping here derates the unit. Mounting position allows vertical surface with ±90° rotation and ±22.5° tilt front-to-back. This gives flexibility for tight enclosures — you can rotate the unit 90 degrees if the cabinet depth is tight, but the derating curve at 40 °C and above still applies.
Communication and feedback options
Built-in support for PROFIBUS, Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP, and PROFINET. This is a multi-protocol soft starter — no separate gateway module needed for most PLC networks. PROFIenergy is available when paired with the PROFINET communication module, useful for energy management in automated lines. Analog output configurable as 4-20 mA (default) or 0-10 V, parameterizable via the High Feature HMI. This feeds motor current or load status to a remote SCADA or local panel meter without a separate signal conditioner.