What this MCCB is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1132-6EE36-0AH0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for starter protection — meaning it's built to sit ahead of a motor starter and handle both overload and short-circuit fault currents in one device. The TM220 thermal-magnetic release gives fixed thermal and magnetic trip settings, so it's a straight swap-in for a panel that already expects that release curve. Rated continuous current holds at 32 A from 40 °C up to 50 °C, then gently derates to 30 A at 70 °C — no surprises in a warm enclosure.
Breaking capacity — the real headroom
The interrupting ratings on this unit are what separate it from a standard distribution MCCB. At 240 V it clears 220 kA; at 415 V it's still 154 kA; at 440 V it's 121 kA. Those numbers drop sharply at 500 V and 690 V to 17 kA — still enough for most motor branch circuits, but if your system runs at 480/500 V three-phase, verify the available fault current against that 17 kA ceiling. The rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so the internal clearances handle 690 V systems without issue.
Auxiliary contacts and integration
Comes fitted with 2 auxiliary switches plus 1 trip alarm switch (HQ type). That gives you one N/O + N/C for status feedback and a separate alarm contact that changes state only on a trip — useful for remote fault indication without wiring through the aux. The trip indicator on the front confirms a thermal or magnetic trip visually. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault module, no communication function on this variant — it's a pure power path with basic signal contacts.
Physical fit and environment
Mounts on a DIN rail or panel base — 76.2 mm wide (3 in), 130 mm tall, 70 mm deep. Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C, storage from -40 °C to 80 °C. Max power dissipation is 10.6 W, so if you're packing several of these in a sealed enclosure, factor that into the thermal budget.