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Library› Electrical› Motor Control› Motor Starter / Contactor
Motor Control

Motor Starter / Contactor

A motor starter is the switching and protection package that closes the circuit to a motor on command and opens it again the instant an overcurrent, undervoltage or single-phasing condition appears, while a contactor by itself is only the switching element with no built-in protection.

156models 4manufacturers
Models

Models in this type.

The 100 models with the most complete data of 156 in Motor Starter / Contactor. Every row links to full specifications, documents and service notes.

Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D09 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D09 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D09 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D18 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D18 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D18 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D25 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D25 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D25 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D32 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D32 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D32 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D40 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D40 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D40 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D50 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D50 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D50 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D65 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D65 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D65 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D80 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D80 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys D LC1D80 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F115 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F115 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F115 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F150 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F150 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F150 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F185 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F185 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F185 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F225 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F225 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F225 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F265 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F265 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F265 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F330 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F330 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F330 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F400 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F400 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F400 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F500 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F500 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F500 690V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F630 400V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F630 440V Marine Schneider ElectricTeSys F LC1F630 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM115 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM115 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM115 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM12 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM12 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM12 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM150 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM150 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM150 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM17 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM17 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM17 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM170 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM170 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM170 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM185 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM185 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM185 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM225 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM225 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM225 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM25 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM25 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM25 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM32 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM32 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM32 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM40 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM40 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM40 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM50 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM50 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM50 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM65 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM65 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM65 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM7 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM7 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM7 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM80 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM80 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM80 690V Marine Eaton MarineDILM95 400V Marine Eaton MarineDILM95 440V Marine Eaton MarineDILM95 690V Marine ABB MarineAF09 Marine 400V Marine ABB MarineAF09 Marine 440V Marine ABB MarineAF09 Marine 690V Marine ABB MarineAF140 Marine 400V Marine
All 156 models
By manufacturer

Manufacturers.

All 4 manufacturers with models of Motor Starter / Contactor. Every name opens a search across the full library.

Related types

Also in Motor Control.

The other equipment types in this category.

Direct Online Starter (DOL)Frequency Converter / VFDMotor Protection SwitchSoft Starter
Knowledge

What to check on a Motor Starter / Contactor.

A contactor is an electrically operated switch: a coil pulls in a set of main contacts to make or break a three-phase circuit, nothing more. A motor starter combines that contactor with protection, most commonly a thermal overload relay wired in series with the motor's current path, plus the control wiring for start/stop pushbuttons, interlocks, and status feedback to the switchboard or automation system. Direct-on-line, star-delta and soft starters are all built around this same contactor-plus-protection core; what changes between them is how much inrush current and torque the motor…

What makes a starter different from a bare contactor

A contactor is an electrically operated switch: a coil pulls in a set of main contacts to make or break a three-phase circuit, nothing more. A motor starter combines that contactor with protection, most commonly a thermal overload relay wired in series with the motor's current path, plus the control wiring for start/stop pushbuttons, interlocks, and status feedback to the switchboard or automation system. Direct-on-line, star-delta and soft starters are all built around this same contactor-plus-protection core; what changes between them is how much inrush current and torque the motor sees at the moment of starting.

Motor starter and contactor circuit
Schematic of a direct-on-line motor starter showing the three-phase supply through the contactor main contacts and overload relay to the motor, with the control circuit coil, start and stop stations and the holding contact.

Main components

Contactor

Sized by rated operational current (AC-3 duty for motor loads) and by pole count, with an auxiliary contact block usually added for interlocking and remote indication.

Overload relay

Thermal or electronic, set to the motor's full load current and service factor; it trips on a sustained overcurrent that a fuse or breaker would be too slow, or not sensitive enough, to catch.

Short-circuit protection

A motor circuit breaker or fuses upstream of the contactor clear a true short circuit far faster than the thermal overload can react, and the two are sized to coordinate rather than duplicate each other.

Star-delta or soft-start components

Where fitted, a second and third contactor (star-delta) or a solid-state voltage ramp module (soft starter) reduce starting current, at the cost of reduced starting torque, for larger motors where a direct-on-line start would sag the switchboard bus.

Selection and sizing

The starter must be matched to the motor's full load current, starting current multiple, duty class (continuous, intermittent, or frequent reversing), and the switchboard's fault level for the short-circuit device. AC-3 utilisation category current rating is the figure to check against the motor nameplate, not the contactor's resistive AC-1 rating, which is always higher and misleading if used for sizing.

Regulations and class

  • Class rules require motor circuits to carry both overload and short-circuit protection, and essential service motors to have specific alarm and, where required, automatic restart arrangements after a blackout.
  • SOLAS Ch. II-1 requirements for essential auxiliaries (steering gear, fire pumps, emergency equipment) drive which starters need duplicated supplies or automatic changeover rather than manual restart only.
  • Periodic testing of overload relay trip settings and protection relay function is checked at survey, typically confirmed by primary or secondary injection testing during major surveys.

Typical faults

FaultConsequence
Contactor main contacts pitted or welded from repeated interruption of starting currentMotor fails to stop on command, or one phase fails to make, causing single-phasing
Overload relay set above actual motor full load currentProtection no longer trips before winding damage on a developing fault, defeating the purpose of the relay
Coil burnt from undervoltage chatter during a switchboard disturbanceStarter drops out and will not re-energise until the coil is replaced, taking an essential auxiliary offline
Star-delta timer misadjustedTransition happens too early (high current transient) or too late (unnecessary time at reduced torque), stressing both motor and starter

What to look for in a supplier

  • Contactor and overload relay rated for the actual AC-3 duty current, with a documented coordination table against the upstream breaker or fuses.
  • Spares availability for the exact overload relay type fitted, since electronic overload modules are rarely interchangeable across manufacturers.
  • Type-tested motor control centre assemblies where required by class, rather than field-built panels with no assembly-level test certificate.
  • Clear marking of AC-3 versus AC-1 ratings on the datasheet, since this figure is the most common source of undersized replacement starters.

When replacing a starter after a trip, check the overload relay setting against the motor nameplate before re-energising; a starter swapped in a hurry with the previous relay setting left unchanged is a common cause of a repeat winding failure weeks later.

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