What the ratings mean for fit
The Siemens 3VA1110-6GF42-0AA0 is a 4-pole SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for 100 A continuous at 40 °C, with the TM240 thermal-magnetic release handling the overload and short-circuit protection curve. The headline number is the interrupting capacity: 220 kA at 240 V AC — that is the fault current this breaker can safely clear without welding its contacts or rupturing the case, which matters when it sits downstream of a large transformer or in a high-fault-capacity industrial service entrance. At 415 V it still interrupts 154 kA, and at 690 V it holds 17 kA, so the same frame covers both low-voltage distribution and motor branch circuits where the available fault current drops off.
Thermal derating and panel integration
The breaker carries its full 100 A rating from 40 °C up through 50 °C (–). At 55 °C it derates to 98 A, at 60 °C to 96 A, and at 70 °C to 91 A (–). If this breaker lives in a non-ventilated enclosure or next to other heat sources, the 70 °C figure is the one to plan around — a 9 % reduction from nameplate. The 70 mm depth and 101.6 mm width fit standard panel-mount cutouts for 4-pole MCCBs in the 100 A frame class, so it drops into existing SENTRON or competitive footprints without re-drilling the gland plate. Maximum power loss is 25 W — that is the heat the breaker dissipates internally at full load. In a sealed enclosure with multiple breakers ganged together, that 25 W per unit adds up and may drive the enclosure ventilation or de-rating calculation. The front face carries IP40 protection, which is typical for panel-mounted breakers — no dust ingress on the operator side, but not rated for washdown.
Lifecycle and sourcing reality
The rated insulation voltage is 800 V, and the maximum operational DC voltage is 600 V — the breaker is listed for DC switching per the 3VA device manual, but the interrupting ratings above are AC only. If the application is a DC bus or battery bank, the manual's DC derating curves apply.
What the peer comparison tells you
The closest functional sibling is the 3VA1110-5ED32-0AA0, which shares the same 100 A frame and 4-pole configuration but carries a different trip unit and lower interrupting capacity. The -6GF42 variant here uses the TM240 release with the 220 kA breaking rating at 240 V, while the -5ED32 typically steps down to a lower SCCR. If the panel was specified around the -5ED32, the -6GF42 will physically fit the same mounting footprint and bus connections — same 70 mm depth, same 101.6 mm width — but the higher interrupting rating may require coordination re-check with the upstream protective device.