Method for closing a contactor, and contactor having temperature compensation

A method for closing the contacts (5, 6) of an electrical switching device (1) during a switch-on process, wherein the electrical switching device (1) has an electromechanical drive with a coil (2) and an armature (3) which can be moved between an open and a closed position, and wherein the coil (2) is energized in order to close the contacts (5, 6) of the electrical switching device (1), wherein first a first voltage U1 is applied to the coil (2) during a first time period T1, and a measurement value is determined, wherein a suitable second voltage U2 is defined in accordance with the measurement value which is greater than the first voltage U1 and is applied to the coil (2) during a second time period T2 in order to move the armature (3) from the open position into the closed position, characterized in that the first voltage U1 is constant, and wherein

• either the first time period T1 is fixed, and the measurement value is a current measurement value IMess determined at the end of the first time period T1 by measuring the current flowing in the coil (2), the first time period T1 and the first voltage U1 being selected in such a way that the armature (3) is not set into motion during the first time period T1,
• or the first voltage U1 is applied to the coil (2) until a certain current value ISoll of the current flowing in the coil (2) is reached, the first time period T1 being the time period until said certain current value ISoll is reached, the first time period T1 being the measurement value, and the first voltage U1 being selected in such a way that the armature (3) is not set into motion during the first time period T1,
• wherein the first time period T1 is selected in such a way that the current increases during the total first time period T1 and no stationary final current appears in the coil during the first time period T1.