What this MCCB delivers in the panel
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1020-3ED36-0AH0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 20 A continuous current, with a TM210 thermal-magnetic release — fixed thermal, fixed magnetic, no adjustability on the trip curve. That means it's a straight line-protection breaker: no ground-fault module, no undervoltage release, no communication stack. It's built to sit in a distribution panel and clear faults fast. Breaking capacity is the headline here: 75.6 kA at 240 V, 52.5 kA at 415 V, 32 kA at 440 V, and still 7.5 kA at 690 V. That 75.6 kA figure at 240 V means it handles high available fault current on the secondary side of a 240/120 V distribution transformer without needing a current-limiting fuse upstream. The 690 V rating is useful for 600 V class Canadian or 690 V European industrial networks — it's not just a 480 V breaker.
Derating and thermal reality
The 20 A rating holds flat from 40 °C up to 50 °C — no derating needed in a normal ventilated panel. At 55 °C it drops to 19.2 A, at 60 °C to 18.8 A, and at 70 °C to 18 A. If your panel ambient runs hot near the top of the enclosure, factor that 10% reduction at 70 °C. The operating temperature range is -25 °C to +70 °C, storage from -40 °C to +80 °C. Dimensions: 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, 70 mm deep. That 70 mm depth is shallow enough to clear a standard 200 mm deep enclosure backplate with room for wiring gutters. The IP40 front protection means it's dust-protected on the face but not sealed — fine for a dry indoor panel, not for washdown.
Lifecycle and sourcing posture
The auxiliary contact configuration is 2 auxiliary switches plus 1 trip alarm switch (HQ type). That gives you two form-C contacts for status feedback and a dedicated alarm contact that changes state only on a trip event — useful for remote fault indication without tying up the aux contacts.
Integration notes
The 3VA1020-3ED36-0AH0 uses a TM210 release — fixed thermal and fixed magnetic settings. No dials to adjust, no interchangeable trip units. That simplifies ordering and panel wiring but means you must size the breaker to the load current exactly; there's no headroom to turn it up later. The 15000 latching endurance cycles is typical for a molded case breaker in distribution duty — not a frequent-switching device like a contactor. No undervoltage release, no shunt trip, no communication module, no phase failure detection. If your application needs remote tripping or status monitoring beyond the aux contacts, you'll need to add external components. The breaker itself is a clean, passive overcurrent protector.