What this MCCB carries — and what that means for your panel
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1132-5EF36-0HC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated 32 A at 40 °C, with a breaking capacity of 187 kA at 240 V — that is the short-circuit current it can safely interrupt without welding contacts or rupturing the case, so it holds fault coordination downstream even on a high-fault utility feed. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, which covers 480/600 V class panels with headroom for surge events. The breaker is designed for line protection — meaning it sits at the incoming feeder or main distribution point, not on a motor branch. It ships with a shunt trip (STL) release and two HQ auxiliary switches, so you can remotely trip the breaker from a safety PLC or E-stop circuit and get status feedback without adding external contact blocks.
Breaking capacity across voltage — selectivity planning
At 415 V the breaker clears 121 kA; at 440 V it drops to 75.6 kA; at 500 V and 690 V it holds 17 kA. That steep derate above 440 V means the 3VA1132-5EF36-0HC0 is best suited for 240 V or 400/415 V distribution where fault currents are high — on a 690 V line you need to verify the available fault current is under 17 kA.
Thermal rating and ambient derating
The breaker holds its full 32 A rating from 40 °C up to 50 °C. At 55 °C it derates to 31 A, at 65 °C to 30 A, and at 70 °C it still carries 30 A. That is a shallow derate curve — useful if the panel runs warm but you need to avoid upsizing the frame.
Physical fit and panel integration
Dimensions are 130 mm height, 76.2 mm width, 70 mm depth. The 3-pole frame mounts on a DIN rail or panel-mount base; the 70 mm depth leaves clearance behind a standard 200 mm deep enclosure backplate.