Shop contactors from ABB and Hager — the electrically operated switch that lets a small control signal make and break a large load. They sit in distribution boards and control panels, switching motors, pumps, chillers, heaters and lighting, rated 9A to 205A, with matching auxiliary contact blocks.
Installation contactor or power contactor?
Installation contactors — the ABB ESB and Hager ESC ranges — are DIN-rail modules that sit alongside MCBs and switch lighting banks and heaters from a timer, a sensor or a building management output. They come in two, three and four-pole versions with normally open contacts. Power contactors such as the ABB AF range are built for motor duty: heavier contacts, wider frames and ratings up to 205A.
What coil voltage do I need?
The coil is the control side: it must match the voltage your control circuit provides, not the load. Common choices are 230V AC where the panel is controlled from the mains supply, 24V DC where a PLC or relay output drives it, and wide-range 100–250V AC/DC coils. The right frame with the wrong coil is a common panel-build mistake.
What do AC-1 and AC-3 duty mean?
These utilisation categories describe what the contacts must break. AC-1 covers largely resistive loads such as heating and lighting, where current at switch-off is modest. AC-3 covers squirrel-cage motors, where starting current is several times running current and contacts take far more punishment — which is why one contactor carries a lower AC-3 rating than its AC-1 figure.
Panel and motor circuits should be designed and connected by a licensed electrician or panel builder. Send us your control schedule and we will price it in AED.
