What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1180-5MH32-0AA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed specifically for starter protection — meaning it's built to coordinate with a contactor and overload relay to protect motor branch circuits, not just general distribution. The TM120M thermal-magnetic release gives a fixed thermal trip at 80 A and a magnetic short-circuit pickup tuned for motor inrush, so it holds through starting current but clears a bolted fault fast.
Breaking capacity — what the numbers mean
This MCCB carries a 187 kA interrupting rating at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V, and 75.6 kA at 440 V. Those are high numbers — it's a current-limiting breaker designed to handle severe fault conditions on the line side of a motor starter. At 500 V and 690 V the rating drops to 7.5 kA, so it's still usable on 480/600 V systems but only where the available fault current stays under that threshold. The 800 V rated insulation voltage confirms it's built for 690 V nominal systems.
Thermal derating — the real current you get
Rated 80 A at 40 °C, and it holds 80 A all the way to 50 °C. Above that it derates: 78 A at 55 °C, 77 A at 60 °C, 75 A at 65 °C, and 74 A at 70 °C. If your panel ambient runs hot — say a packed enclosure near a motor — that 74 A at 70 °C is the number to size against, not the 80 A nameplate. The maximum power loss is 19.2 W, which matters for enclosure heat rise calculations.
Panel fit and environment
The 3VA1180-5MH32-0AA0 measures 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, and 70 mm deep — a compact 3-pole footprint that fits standard SENTRON panel layouts. IP40 on the front means it's protected against tools and wires >1 mm, but not against water ingress; mount it inside a rated enclosure if washdown is present. Operating range is -25 °C to 70 °C, storage from -40 °C to 80 °C.