MCCB for line protection — 80 A, 4-pole, high interrupting capacity
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1080-3ED42-0KH0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, carrying 80 A continuously at 40 °C ambient without derating. That 80 A holds flat through 50 °C, then tapers to 74 A at 70 °C — useful if the panel sits near hot rolls or drives. Interrupting capacity hits 75.6 kA at 240 V AC, 52.5 kA at 415 V, and 32 kA at 440 V, with a floor of 7.5 kA at 500 V and 690 V. That gives you SCCR headroom for most distribution and motor branch circuits tied to 480 V class gear. The breaker ships with an integrated shunt trip (STL) and a complement of two auxiliary switches plus one trip alarm switch HQ — enough for remote status and trip indication on a PLC input. Insulation voltage is rated 800 V, and maximum power loss runs 19.2 W, which matters for thermal budgeting in a dense enclosure. It is designed for line protection, not motor protection — no undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, no communication module. The basic switch assembly is order code 3VA10803ED420AA0.
Thermal performance and panel integration
The breaker occupies a 101.6 mm wide, 130 mm tall, 70 mm deep footprint on the DIN rail or mounting plate. At 70 °C operating maximum and 80 °C storage, it takes the radiant heat common in steel-mill auxiliary panels or near variable-frequency drive cabinets. The 19.2 W power loss at full load means you need to account for that heat in the enclosure's dissipation budget — don't stack it tight against uncooled busbars. With four poles and a shunt trip, wiring the control circuit for remote trip is straightforward: the STL coil needs a separate 24 V or 110 V supply (not included), and the auxiliary contacts share the same terminal block for status feedback.