What this MCCB is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1080-3ED42-0AE0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for 80 A continuous current, built for line protection in distribution panels. It carries a TM210 thermal-magnetic overcurrent release — a fixed-trip curve that handles moderate inrush without nuisance tripping, suitable for general feeder and branch-circuit duty. Interrupting capacity is the headline here: 75.6 kA at 240 V, 52.5 kA at 415 V, 32 kA at 440 V, and 7.5 kA at 690 V. That 75.6 kA figure at 240 V covers high-fault industrial panels where the available short-circuit current is well above typical 25 kA residential gear. The 52.5 kA at 415 V means it handles the standard European 400 V three-phase network with room to spare for most transformer-fed installations. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so the breaker itself is rated for the 690 V line-to-line systems you find in heavy industrial drives and mining gear. The 4-pole construction lets it switch three phases plus neutral — common for 3-phase 4-wire distribution where you want the neutral switched for isolation.
Thermal derating and ambient temperature
The 80 A rating holds steady from 40 °C up to 50 °C ambient — no derating needed in a typical ventilated panel. Above 50 °C it starts to pull back: 76.8 A at 55 °C, 75.2 A at 60 °C, 73.6 A at 65 °C, and 72 A at 70 °C. If the breaker lives next to a hot transformer or drive in a sealed enclosure, that 70 °C derated figure is the one to wire the load for. Operating ambient range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C. The IP40 front protection means it's fine in a dry indoor panel but not washdown — keep it behind a gland plate, not on the factory floor.
Auxiliary switching and mechanical endurance
This variant ships with 4 HQ auxiliary switches — high-capacity contacts rated for switching control circuits directly without an interposing relay. The breaker is rated for 15,000 mechanical operations, which is standard for a fixed-installation MCCB that sees maybe a few hundred cycles a year under normal switching. No undervoltage release, no shunt trip, no communication module — this is a clean line-protection breaker with aux contacts for status feedback.