ABB SACE Emax 2 air circuit breaker (E1.2-E6.2)
ABB SACE Emax 2 air circuit breakers to 6,300 A and 200 kA, current-sold alongside the 2025 Emax 3 successor
ABB SACE Emax 2 air circuit breaker (E1.2-E6.2) is one of 41 data center switchgear tracked in the SecondWatt catalogue, each with specifications, lead times and indicative secondary-market pricing.
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 ACBs in LV switchboards feeding UPS and mechanical buses; E4.2/E6.2 frames carry the 3,000-6,300 A mains of hyperscale electrical rooms.
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 |
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
Pricing and availability
Comparable secondary-market band: 5499–8950 $ per breaker. Trend: up 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.
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 charge/close/trip sequence without trip-free behavior 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 Auxiliary wiring — verify secondary disconnects, charging motor voltage (24-125 V options), and aux contacts Trip unit vintage — identify electronics generation; obsolete trip units reprice the breaker toward core value Counterfeit screen — verify serial numbers with the OEM; counterfeit LV breakers documented since the 2007 CPSC recall Ratings match — confirm frame, sensor/rating plug, and interrupting rating (kA at 480 V) against the application Listing match — verify cassette/cradle compatibility and UL 1066 or UL 489 listing matches the switchgear type Records — factory test report, service history, and injection results; missing records reprice toward as-is
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.