Siemens SENTRON 3VA1132-3EF36-0AE0 — 32 A Molded Case Circuit Breaker, Line Protection
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1132-3EF36-0AE0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, carrying a continuous current of 32 A at 40 °C ambient with no derating needed up to that point. Its TM240 thermal-magnetic release handles overload and short-circuit protection in a single unit — no separate trip unit to order. The 75.6 kA interrupting rating at 240 V gives you headroom for high-fault panels, and it still holds 52.5 kA at 415 V and 32 kA at 440 V, so it's comfortable on most 400 V class distribution boards. Insulation voltage is rated at 800 V, which covers the gap between the bus and the breaker body for standard panel builds.
Breaking Capacity Across Voltages — SCCR Planning
This breaker's interrupting capacity drops predictably as voltage rises: 75.6 kA at 240 V, 52.5 kA at 415 V, 32 kA at 440 V, and 11.9 kA at both 500 V and 690 V. For a 480 V panel (common in North America) the 32 kA at 440 V is the closest published point — expect the actual SCCR to sit between the 440 V and 500 V figures. That's enough for most industrial distribution boards unless you're feeding a transformer secondary with a stiff utility. The 11.9 kA at 690 V is the floor; if your fault study shows more, step up to a higher-rated frame.
Thermal Derating and Ambient Temperature
The 32 A rating holds flat from 40 °C through 50 °C — no derating in that range. At 55 °C it drops to 31 A, at 65 °C to 30 A, and at 70 °C to 30 A. That's a shallow curve; you can pack this breaker into a warm enclosure without losing much capacity. The maximum operating ambient is 70 °C, storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C. Power loss at full load is 10.6 W — negligible for thermal calculations in a multi-breaker panel, but worth noting if you're stacking a dozen of these in a sealed box.
Dimensions and Panel Fit
Footprint is 76.2 mm wide by 130 mm tall by 70 mm deep — that's 3 inches wide, 5.12 inches tall, 2.76 inches deep. It's a standard 3-pole MCCB width for DIN-rail or panel-mount installation. The 70 mm depth means it clears most shallow enclosures; check your gland plate clearance if you're back-panel mounting with a dead-front cover. No trip indicator on the front face, so fault diagnosis requires a visual on the handle position or a downstream indication.