AC & DC Contactors

When Schaltbau started producing the first contactors for the railroad sector in 1929, no one could have predicted what would happen later. Today, almost 100 years later, our customers benefit from innovative, precisely fitting and certified products thanks to our many years of experience.

Whether in the railroad, energy or electromobility sectors, our contactors play a crucial role in ensuring a reliable and responsive electrical system. But why are DC contactors so important in the context of electromobility? The answer lies in their ability to seamlessly control power distribution, enabling smooth acceleration, deceleration and efficient energy utilization.

Read about C303 Series

Benefits

Remote control
Galvanic isolation
Safe disconnection
Fast response
Component protection
Arc extinguishing
Switching efficiency
Heat resistance

Industries

Rail
Industry
Energy
e-Mobility

C303 – 1-pole bi-directional DC NO contactors up to 500 amps

The C303 bi-directional DC contactors are compact, high-performance switchgear for applications with high making currents or large capacities. All versions can carry up to 500 amps continuously; in the event of a short circuit, significantly higher currents can flow without the contacts welding together. This means that the contactor retains its full function to disconnect high loads – up to 1.5 MW – regardless of the current direction. This full bi-directionality is important for systems with a charging and discharging process.
Typical applications are DC circuits in inverters for battery storage systems, charging stations in the e-mobility sector or in test benches.

Features

Up to 25% energy cost savings: A long-term low contact resistance and lower contact heating reduce energy losses and require less cooling.

Full bidirectionality: Safe disconnection of high power during charging and discharging thanks to specially designed extinguishing chamber; V2G ready.

Safe breaking of high power: High breaking capacity under full load up to 1.5 megawatts thanks to innovative main contact system.

No risk of explosion: Permanent magnetic arc extinguishing without gas encapsulation equalises overheating and overpressure at all times.

High mounting compatibility: Compact size specially designed for industrial applications.

High availability: Robust design for a long system service life.

High safety level: Mirror contact for safe feedback of the switching status according to IEC 60947‑4‑1, annex F.

Applications

The compact switching device can be integrated especially in areas where there is no space for larger series. Since the C303 series can reliably switch in both directions of current, it is ideally suited for applications with energy recovery. Here, the C303 reliably ensures the galvanic isolation of both poles of the battery from the vehicle’s powertrain in the event of a fault. Areas of application for the C303 series are regenerative systems and DC charging stations or battery test benches. A further application for the use of bi-directional contactors of the C303 series are stationary energy storages. Batteries are charged and discharged regularly. For this purpose it is important that the contactors can switch off safely in both current directions.