ABB SACE Emax 3 in summary:

• Eliminate multi-million dollar downtime: Protect high-stakes infrastructure, like AI data centres, from costly outages by replacing passive safety switches with active, intelligent power routing.
• Shrink your switchboard footprint: Ditch full panels of auxiliary gear and external meters; with Emax 3, cloud-free predictive maintenance, sub-40ms arc flash protection, and smart metering are built directly into the breaker core.
• Zero-cost technical upgrades: Secure world-first Security Level 2 (SL2) cybersecurity while taking advantage of 100% backward compatibility to drop new units directly into existing SACE Emax 2 cradles – no switchboard redesign or recertification required.
• Certainty in the supply chain: Bypass local inventory delays with IPD's extensive Australian stock, national technical sales force, and an on-shore adaptation center tailored to custom-build and test to your project specifications.

Emax 3 is more than just a circuit breaker

A common misconception across the electrical industry is that all low-voltage air circuit breakers (ACBs) are essentially the same. Traditionally, these devices functioned as passive, heavy-duty safety switches waiting silently for an electrical fault to occur before tripping. While this legacy approach may have offered basic protection in a simpler era, modern operational demands make it entirely insufficient.

Today's critical infrastructure – from advanced manufacturing facilities to data centres – faces growing pressure from soaring energy demands and an increasingly unstable power grid. And with efficiency and productivity at the front of everyone’s minds, even brief power failures can be costly, with operational downtime frequently leading to losses ranging from $100,000 to more than $1 million per incident.

To mitigate these risks, infrastructure must evolve. Next-generation engineering requires moving away from reactive, passive components and instead choosing active, intelligent power management systems. The ABB SACE Emax 3[1]  completely redefines what a circuit breaker can do. It is designed to solve what's next by moving beyond traditional protection boundaries and delivering intelligent, active power management tailored for tomorrow’s energy demands.

Defining the "Next Generation"

When it comes to low-voltage power distribution, what does "next generation" actually mean?

It means an asset capable of delivering real-time intelligence, unprecedented safety, and world-first cybersecurity.

To meet strict performance and efficiency goals, Emax 3 embeds advanced intelligence and multi-functional digital capabilities directly into the breaker itself, eliminating entire panels of heavy auxiliary equipment. Rather than functioning as a standalone, isolated component, it acts as the central hub of an intelligent, active power management strategy,  proactively monitoring your electrical system, interpreting environmental data, and continuously adapting to changing conditions.

Stop wasted labour and expensive unplanned shutdowns

Traditional maintenance schedules rely on rigid, calendar-based routines – or worse, waiting for an emergency failure to happen. Either approach can result in unplanned shutdowns, high costs, and wasted labour. Emax 3 replaces this reactive model with a continuous, on-premise network of sensors that track asset health in real time, enabling predictive, condition-based maintenance strategies.

• Continuous thermal and humidity tracking: Utilising wireless and cabled sensors (such as T-Sense and Ekip Temperature modules), Emax 3 continuously monitors temperature and humidity fluctuations across critical points – such as busbar joints – to catch localised overheating before damage occurs.
• On-device algorithm: An internal, built-in algorithm located directly within the trip unit calculates a precise Health Index (starting at 100% and decreasing with actual usage) and accurately forecasts the exact date maintenance is required.
• Air-gapped data security: Because this advanced processing happens entirely on-device, it requires no cloud connection. Your proprietary operational data remains completely secure on premise.

Controller-free integrated components

Protect personnel with in-built safety features

Human error during live work activities and accidental electrical faults pose severe safety risks in critical power environments. Emax 3 addresses this with an integrated active arc flash protection algorithm that utilises onboard light and pressure sensors.

• Ultra-fast clearing: The integrated module detects and clears dangerous arc faults in less than 40 milliseconds.
• Reduced complexity: By embedding this capability directly within the breaker, it eliminates the need for separate external arc flash relays, significantly saving switchgear space and reducing installation complexity.
• Dual-condition logic: To maximise reliability, the breaker features an optional current check. This dual-condition logic ensures the breaker only trips when light detection is matched with an actual current spike, preventing false trips from non-hazardous light sources like maintenance camera flashes.

Emax 3 also features remote racking; a motorised system that allows operators to rack the breaker in and out from a safe distance – or even a different room – eliminating physical exposure to hazards.

Protect your assets with SL2-certified cybersecurity

Electrical networks in advanced facilities – like modern hospitals, advanced manufacturing plants and data centres – are becoming more digitalised and connected. In turn, they have become prime targets for sophisticated cyberattacks. A compromised breaker could allow unauthorised actors to monitor networks, trigger remote shutdowns, or alter critical current protection thresholds – malicious actions that could cause catastrophic downstream equipment failure and safety hazards.

Emax 3 is meticulously engineered to defend your infrastructure against these digital threats. It is the world’s first air circuit breaker to achieve IEC 62443-4-2 Security Level 2 (SL2) certification from TÜV Rheinland.

• Role-based access control (RBAC): Users are strictly categorised into dedicated roles (Owner, Admin, Engineer, Operator, Viewer), preventing unauthorised setting modifications.
• Secure firmware updates: Mandates digitally signed firmware featuring anti-rollback mechanisms to block tampering or malicious upgrades.
• Hardware authentication: The breaker uses embedded security protocols to ensure it only communicates with genuine, certified ABB modules.

Protect productivity with class 0.5 power quality metering

To support energy management, sustainability initiatives, and accurate sub-billing, Emax 3 functions as a high-precision smart meter – without requiring external add-ons.

• Certified high accuracy: Emax 3 delivers factory-configured Class 0.5 accuracy for active power and energy measurement in compliance with the strict IEC 61557-12 standard.
• Advanced diagnostics: Includes an integrated Network Analyzer and Data Logger Pro capable of capturing complex waveforms at an incredibly high sampling rate of 9,600 Hz.
• Optimised enclosures: This built-in functionality eliminates the cost, space, and wiring required for separate, bulky external power meters and current transformers.

Technical highlights: SACE Emax 2 vs. SACE Emax 3

For engineering and technical teams, the evolution from the legacy Emax 2 platform to the next-generation Emax 3 delivers concrete improvements in hardware simplicity and digital capability:

Zero-stress migration

A major benefit of upgrading to the Emax 3 platform is its 100% backward compatibility with the existing Emax 2 footprint. Emax 3 shares:

• The exact same physical dimensions and mounting points.
• The same minimum enclosure clearance requirements.
• Identical power and auxiliary connection termination arrangements.
• Complete mechanical compatibility between the Emax 2 fixed part (cradle) and the Emax 3 moving part.

This guarantees a seamless, plug-and-play upgrade path, allowing switchboard builders to slide an Emax 3 moving part directly into an existing Emax 2 cradle. Switchboard builders can swap technology rapidly without the massive engineering costs, downtime, or recertification penalties of redesigning existing IEC 61439-2 certified switchboards.

The IPD advantage: engineering with certainty

Deploying next-generation technology successfully requires a supply partner capable of streamlining implementation and removing execution risks. As the master distributor for ABB in Australia, IPD brings comprehensive, customised power distribution solutions directly to local projects.

Local support and customisation

IPD eliminates supply chain uncertainty by investing heavily in local inventory to ensure fast, reliable lead times across Australia. Our national technical sales team works shoulder-to-shoulder with specifiers, consultants, switchboard builders, and end users from the initial design phase through to final commissioning. Backed by a dedicated local adaptation center, IPD is fully equipped to accessorise, build, and test ACBs to your precise project specifications.

Powering the next generation of infrastructure

As electrical networks grow increasingly complex, legacy, passive protection is no longer enough. Emax 3 is engineered to maximise uptime, improve operational safety, simplify infrastructure complexity, and deliver robust cybersecurity to the core of your facility.

Contact the technical team at IPD today to discuss how the ABB SACE Emax 3 can protect and future-proof your next critical project.