The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1020-2ED36-0KC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection at a continuous current Iu of 20 A. Its TM210 thermal-magnetic release handles overload and short-circuit protection without an electronic trip unit — a fixed-curve choice suited to feeder and distribution panels where coordination is set by the breaker's inherent time-current characteristic, not a configurable trip card. Interrupting capacity is the headline: 52.5 kA at 240 V, 32 kA at 415 V, 13.6 kA at 440 V, and 7.5 kA at 690 V. At 415 V — the most common industrial three-phase voltage in many regions — 32 kA SCCR means this breaker can safely clear a fault up to that level without upstream devices needing to intervene. That is enough headroom for most secondary distribution panels fed from a transformer in the 500–1000 kVA range. Below 415 V the interrupting rating climbs, so the same breaker covers 240 V split-phase or 208Y/120 V panels with substantial margin.
Thermal derating and panel integration
The breaker holds its full 20 A rating from 40 °C up to 50 °C ambient. At 55 °C it derates to 19.2 A, at 60 °C to 18.8 A, at 65 °C to 18.4 A, and at 70 °C to 18 A. For a panel that runs warm — say a packed enclosure with multiple breakers in a row — the 50 °C flat rating is generous; the derating curve is linear above that, so a 60 °C internal ambient still leaves 18.8 A continuous, which is 94% of nameplate. The 70 mm depth and 76.2 mm width fit the standard SENTRON 3VA footprint, so it drops into an existing DIN-rail or mounting-plate layout without re-spacing. Front IP40 means the breaker face is protected against tools and wires >1 mm, but the enclosure itself must provide the overall IP rating for the panel.
Auxiliary and shunt trip configuration
This variant ships with two HQ auxiliary switches and a shunt trip (STL) release. The HQ contacts are high-rupturing-capacity auxiliary switches rated for signal feedback — they indicate breaker position (open/closed/tripped) to a PLC or status lamp. The shunt trip allows remote tripping by applying a control voltage; it is wired separately from the main power circuit, so a safety relay or emergency-stop chain can open the breaker without requiring a manual visit to the panel. The integrated auxiliary trip order code is 3VA9688-0BL33, which is the factory-fitted internal accessory for this specific build. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, no communication module — this is a straightforward line-protection breaker with remote-trip capability and contact status.