ABB SACE Emax 2 air circuit breaker (E1.2-E6.2)
Manufacturer: ABB
ABB SACE Emax 2 air circuit breakers to 6,300 A and 200 kA, current-sold alongside the 2025 Emax 3 successor
This model is part of SecondWatt’s switchgear research catalogue. Specifications and price observations are included where supported by sources. Equipment availability and commercial terms require confirmation.
ABB SACE Emax 2 dossier: E1.2-E6.2 air circuit breakers to 6,300 A and 200 kA, Emax 3 succession, gray-market pricing from 5,499 USD, inspection tips.
SACE Emax 2 is ABB's flagship LV air circuit breaker family, launched 2013-2014 in four frames: E1.2 (to 1,600 A), E2.2 (800-2,500 A, to 100 kA at 440 V), E4.2 (to 150 kA class), and E6.2 (to 6,300 A with Icu to 200 kA at 440 V), applied to 1,150 V AC and 1,000 V DC under IEC 60947-2 with ANSI/UL 1066 versions in the US. Ekip Touch and Hi-Touch trip units embed protection, metering, and communications.
The succession story matters to buyers: ABB launched SACE Emax 3 on 2025-07-01 as the successor, aimed explicitly at data centers, with a code-up tool converting Emax 2 part numbers and backward compatibility claimed. Both generations sell in parallel as of August 2026, which caps used Emax 2 pricing while guaranteeing long parts support.
Observed secondary supply: an E4.2C 3,200 A new-unopened at 5,499 USD from a Bangalore gray-channel seller (provenance flag), an E2.2B new-open-box at 8,950 USD from a US dealer, and unpriced dealer stock elsewhere. First-generation Emax units (E3S at 5,995 USD refurbished) trade in the same channels and must not be conflated with Emax 2.
Why it matters
Emax 2 sits inside a huge share of 2014-2025 LV switchboards, and the Emax 3 launch converts it from flagship to installed-base annuity, history says that is when secondary trading deepens. The 200 kA E6.2 ceiling covers hyperscale UPS front-ends, and Ekip electronics make trip-unit condition, not iron, the value driver on used units.
Who buys it
Data center and industrial owners of Emax 2-equipped switchboards buy spares; panel builders buy surplus units against distributor queues; retrofit buyers take Emax 2 into existing lineups via ABB's retrofill kits. Gray-market export stock (observed from India and Dubai) demands provenance checks since warranty and firmware support follow the channel.
Role in the data center
Main and feeder air circuit breakers in low-voltage switchboards feeding UPS input, UPS output and mechanical buses. The E4.2 and E6.2 frames carry the 3,000-6,300 A mains of hyperscale electrical rooms, where the 200 kA interrupting ceiling covers the fault duty a large transformer and paralleled generation can deliver.
Key specifications
| Frame sizes | E1.2 / E2.2 / E4.2 / E6.2 |
|---|---|
| Top frame rating | 6,300 A (E6.2) |
| Icu ceiling | 200 kA at 440 V |
| Application limits | 1,150 V AC / 1,000 V DC |
| Standards | IEC 60947-2; ANSI/UL 1066 |
| Trip units | Ekip Touch / Hi-Touch |
| Successor launch | Emax 3, 2025-07-01 |
| Observed E4.2C 3,200 A | 5,499 USD (new, gray channel) |
| Observed E2.2B open-box | 8,950 USD OBO |
| E1.2 frame ceiling | 1,600 A |
| E2.2 frame range | 800-2,500 A |
Technical summary
Frames: E1.2 / E2.2 / E4.2 / E6.2. Current: to 1,600 / 2,500 / 4,000-class / 6,300 A. Icu: to 100 kA (E2.2), 150 kA class (E4.2), 200 kA at 440 V (E6.2). Application: to 1,150 V AC / 1,000 V DC. Standards: IEC 60947-2; ANSI/UL 1066 US versions. Trip units: Ekip Touch / Hi-Touch with embedded metering. Successor: SACE Emax 3 (launched 2025-07-01), code-up conversion. Status: current, sold in parallel with Emax 3.
Major variations
Four frames by envelope (E1.2, E2.2, E4.2, E6.2), each offered in B, N, S, H and L interrupting tiers, 3-pole and 4-pole, fixed or withdrawable, and in IEC 60947-2 or ANSI/UL 1066 builds. Ekip trip units run from the basic Dip level to Touch and Hi-Touch with embedded metering and communications, and trip-unit level is what a used-unit buyer is actually paying for. First-generation Emax (E1-E6) is a separate ABB legacy product that shares dealer channels but not parts or trip units.
Configurations and options
Four frames set the envelope, E1.2 to 1,600 A, E2.2 at 800-2,500 A, E4.2 in the 150 kA class and E6.2 to 6,300 A with Icu to 200 kA at 440 V, and within each frame the B, N, S, H and L performance tiers change interrupting capability and price without changing the ampere rating. The other order variables are 3-pole or 4-pole, fixed or withdrawable, IEC 60947-2 or ANSI/UL 1066 build, and the Ekip trip unit level from Dip through Touch and Hi-Touch with embedded metering and communications. On a used unit the trip-unit level is what is actually being bought.
Compatibility and dependencies
Application limits are 1,150 V AC and 1,000 V DC, so the breaker covers 400-690 V boards and DC duty alike, but the build standard has to match the board: an IEC 60947-2 unit is not a substitute for an ANSI/UL 1066 unit in a UL 1558 lineup. Withdrawable units need their own cassette, and first-generation Emax E1-E6 shares dealer channels and search terms but not parts or trip units, so an Emax 2 will not seat in an Emax cradle. Ekip Touch and Hi-Touch units carry the metering and communications the power monitoring system reads, so firmware generation and any Ekip accessory modules have to be checked against the existing supervisory system.
Pricing and availability
Comparable secondary-market band: 5499–8950 $ per breaker. Trend: rising Two dated Emax 2 observations exist, both logged 2026-08-18: an E4.2C 3,200 A new-unopened at 5,499 USD from a Bangalore gray-channel seller and an E2.2B new-open-box at 8,950 USD from a US dealer, an inversion of the usual frame-size ordering that shows how much channel and provenance matter here. Two forces pull against each other: Electrical Trader's 2026-04-01 review puts breakers up 47% since 2021 at category level, while the Emax 3 launch on 2025-07-01 caps used Emax 2 asks by giving buyers a current-production alternative. Lead time, new: Orderable; ABB scaling LV production on data center demand. Lead time, used or refurbished: 1-4 weeks (dealer/gray stock). Warranty, used: 1-year typical from reconditioning dealers.
Lifecycle and maintenance
LV power circuit breakers serve 30-40 years on 3-5 year maintenance cycles per ANSI/NETA MTS and NFPA 70B, with mechanism lubrication and injection testing the critical items. A deep reconditioning ecosystem (Relectric, NAS, Bay Power, Bullock) tests to NETA specifications and warrants units for 1 year. OEM trip-unit retrofit programs (Eaton PXR, ABB EntelliGuard R, Siemens 3WA retrofit) extend installed platforms past electronics obsolescence, which sustains used-breaker values.
Thermal and emissions profile
Switchgear produces no combustion emissions; the regulatory profile is electrical safety and materials. NFPA 70B became a standard in its 2023 edition, making maintenance programs mandatory rather than recommended, and arc-flash rules (NFPA 70E) govern work practices. LV air-insulated gear carries no F-gas exposure, and construction standards (UL 891, UL 1558, IEEE C37.20.1) plus arc-resistant options under IEEE C37.20.7 define the safety envelope buyers should verify.
Common failure points
- Mechanism springs and lubrication — Slow trips, trip-free on close, failure to latch on aged units
- Trip unit electronics — Nuisance trips or no-trip from aged or obsolete electronics
- Contacts and arc chutes — Overheating and interruption failure from eroded contacts or cracked chutes
- Secondary wiring — Control faults from damaged secondary disconnects and aux switches
- Provenance and counterfeits — Counterfeit or mis-labeled breakers fail catastrophically under fault
- Cassette and racking wear — Misalignment and cluster contact damage on worn cradles
Inspection checklist
Mechanism: exercise open/close 10+ cycles; verify the charge/close/trip sequence completes and the mechanism latches on every close; treat any failure to latch on close as a finding and check it against the OEM acceptance procedure. Trip curve: primary injection test; NETA field data shows 22% of LV power breakers off their published curves. Secondary injection: verify all 4 protection functions (LSIG) against settings; record as-found/as-left values. Contact resistance: micro-ohm test each pole; investigate readings above 1.5x sister poles. Insulation resistance: megger at 1,000 V per ANSI/NETA MTS acceptance tables. Contact wear: inspect arcing contacts and wear indicators against the OEM replacement limit. Arc chutes: remove and inspect for cracks, erosion, and metal splatter; replace damaged chutes. Lubrication: verify mechanism grease condition; dried lubricant is the leading slow-trip cause on 20+ year units. Racking: exercise draw-out mechanism through connect/test/disconnect; verify shutter operation.
Procurement channels
US dealers (NAS, IGAM, Electricity Equipment) plus gray-channel export stock on eBay from India and Dubai; provenance and firmware checks are mandatory on gray units. ABB distributors carry new stock of common frames.
Regional notes
IEC 60947-2 is the base standard with ANSI/UL 1066 versions built for the United States, and the two are separate products rather than a marking difference. Gray-channel Emax 2 stock exported from India and Dubai trades below US distributor pricing and carries no verifiable warranty or firmware provenance, which matters because the Ekip trip unit is where the value sits. ABB launched Emax 3 on 2025-07-01 as the successor with a code-up tool that converts Emax 2 part numbers, and both generations sold in parallel through 2026.