Siemens Compact Motor Starter Frees Up Space in Control Cabinet

With the Sirius 3RA6 compact starter, Siemens Industry Automation (IA) has added a new low-voltage switchgear product for three-phase AC standard motors up to 32 amps. The functions of overload relay, circuit breaker, and contactor are bundled in the device. Siemens claim this reduces installation and wiring overhead for the user and creates more space in the control cabinet. The new compact starter has its own infeed system for power supply as well as a mounting module for simple connection to AS-Interface.

At the same time, the variance of the load feeders has been reduced with the Sirius 3RA6 starter. With five wide setting ranges up to 32 amps rated current, as well as three wide voltage ranges for AC/DC current with 24, 42 to 70 and 110 to 240 volts, the devices, available as direct starters or reversing starters, cover a large percentage of the application range.

Siemens also offers additional, corresponding AS-i mounting modules with which the Sirius 3RA6 compact starter can be connected directly to the AS-Interface. The mounting module can be connected to the compact starter and used as an A/B slave for the AS-Interface. All the diagnostics and status data of the compact starter are thus forwarded direct to the higher-level controller.