What this MCCB is and where it fits
The Siemens 3VA1140-6EF36-0JC0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection in distribution panels. It's a 3-pole unit rated 40 A continuous at 40 °C, with an interrupting capacity of 220 kA at 240 V — that's the number that tells you it can handle high-fault utility feeds or transformer secondaries without cascading failure upstream. The 70 mm depth and 76.2 mm width mean it fits standard Siemens SENTRON mounting patterns — no panel rework if you're swapping a 3VA1 frame. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so it's comfortable on 480/277 V or 600 V systems with headroom.
Ratings that matter for the BOM line
Continuous current holds at 40 A from 40 °C up through 50 °C, then derates to 39 A at 55 °C and 60 °C, and 38 A at 65 °C, down to 37 A at 70 °C. That's a shallow derate curve — you don't lose much headroom in a warm enclosure. Interrupting rating drops with voltage: 154 kA at 415 V, 121 kA at 440 V, then a step down to 17 kA at 500 V and 690 V. On a 480 V system you're between the 440 V and 500 V curves — coordination study should use the 17 kA figure at 500 V as the conservative bound. Maximum power loss is 10.8 W per pole — negligible for thermal budgeting in a multi-breaker panel, but worth noting if you're packing high-density MCCBs in a sealed enclosure.
Built-in accessories and what they mean
Factory-fitted with two HQ auxiliary switches and a shunt trip (STL) release. The auxiliary switches give you status feedback for PLC or SCADA — one NO/NC pair for breaker position, a second for trip indication if you need it. The shunt trip allows remote tripping from an E-stop or safety relay, which is common on motor control centers. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, no communication module on this variant. If you need UVR or ground-fault, you're looking at a different suffix in the 3VA1 family. The basic switch supplied is 3VA11406EF360AA0.
Environmental and storage limits
Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C. The storage minimum is the one to watch if this sits in an unheated warehouse — it's fine down to -40 °C, but don't energize below -25 °C without warming the breaker first.