Schneider Electric GC4020M5 TeSys GC 40 A 2P Contactor

GC4020M5 contactor: 40 A two-pole contactor for heating and lighting circuits

The GC4020M5 is the 40 A two-pole member of the TeSys GC family. It has two normally open power poles, a 40 A AC-7a rating, a 15 A AC-7b rating and a 220 to 240 V AC 50 Hz coil. A two-pole 40 A rating is what water heaters, cooking equipment and bigger lighting feeders on single-phase circuits need. Seven Star LLC supplies the GC4020M5 in Oman and the GCC as an independent supplier based in Muscat.

GC40 is the frame, 20 is the two-pole arrangement, and M5 the 230 V coil. Compared with the 25 A GC25 frame, the 40 A body is two modules wide (36 mm), 85 mm high, and the datasheet gives its net weight as 0.23 kg.

Technical specifications of the GC4020M5

Two poles at 40 A: where the GC4020M5 belongs

The 40 A body is the step up from the GC25 frame when the load current outgrows 25 A. Because dissipation is 3.2 W per pole at the rated current, it releases more heat than the smaller frame, so the thermal design of the board matters more.

For motor duty the AC-7b rating of 15 A applies. Compared with the three-pole GC4030M5, this variant switches only two conductors, which suits phase-and-neutral or two-phase loads.

GC modular contactor family compared with the GC4020M5

The five GC references below come from the same TeSys GC datasheet series and differ in current rating, pole count and coil. The highlighted row is the one on this page.

Choosing the GC4020M5 correctly

• Load current up to 40 A in AC-7a, up to 15 A in AC-7b motor duty.
• Two poles only; for three conductors see the GC4030M5.
• Coil is 220 to 240 V AC at 50 Hz, drawing 34 VA 50 Hz (at 20 °C) at pick-up.
• Allow 1.6 W at 50/60 Hz of heat dissipation per contactor in the enclosure budget.
• Check the 36 mm module width against the rail space.
• Confirm the associated 40 A gL fuse is present in the feeder.

Making capacity and short-circuit data of the GC4020M5

The datasheet gives a rated making and breaking capacity of 120 A at 400 V under IEC 61095, a short-time withstand of 320 A for 10 s and 100 A for 30 s at 40 °C, and an associated fuse of 40 A gL up to 440 V. Impedance is 2 mOhm – Ith 40 A 50 Hz for power circuit and power dissipation is 3.2 W per pole.

Those two ratings do different jobs: the fuse protects the contactor from a short circuit, while the withstand figures show how long it tolerates an overload before the thermal protection of the circuit must act.

Oman and GCC uses for the GC4020M5

The summer load profile of the Gulf makes the heating-and-lighting contactor surprisingly busy: storage water heaters, boilers in hotel kitchens, signboard and façade lighting feeders and swimming-pool equipment are typical single-phase loads of 20 to 40 A.

The industrial side uses it to control heater banks and anti-condensation circuits in outdoor panels, where the -40 to 70 °C ambient range of the datasheet gives comfortable margin.

Mounting, torque and service life of the GC4020M5

Fit the contactor on a DIN rail, within 30 degrees of vertical, and tighten the screw clamp terminals to the torque stated in the datasheet. Heavier conductors on a 40 A circuit warm the terminals, so a retorque after the first load cycle is wise.

The mechanical durability is one million cycles and the electrical durability is 100000 cycles for both utilisation categories, with a maximum rate of 300 operations per hour at 50 °C. Do not use the contactor for rapid cycling control.

Information to send with an RFQ for the GC4020M5

• Full reference and quantity required
• Coil voltage and frequency available on site
• Load type and current (resistive, lighting or motor)
• Number of poles and enclosure space available
• Delivery location and timing

Documents and quotation

A datasheet for the GC4020M5 is attached on this page. It carries the electrical, mechanical and environmental data summarised above, so the figures can be checked against your drawings.

Send the part number, quantity and application and we will confirm availability and a quotation. Seven Star LLC is an independent supplier in Muscat and is not affiliated with the manufacturer.