What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1180-6GE46-0AA0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for a continuous current Iu of 80 A, fitted with a TM220 thermal-magnetic overcurrent release. This is the line-protection version — no communication module, no ground-fault monitoring built in. The TM220 release gives you an adjustable short-circuit trip threshold up to 800 A, which covers motor-start inrush or transformer magnetizing peaks without nuisance tripping.
Breaking capacity — the real number for your fault level
This breaker carries a 220 kA interrupting rating at 240 V AC, dropping to 154 kA at 415 V, 121 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 500 V and 690 V. That 220 kA at 240 V is a heavy-duty figure — it handles high-fault scenarios like transformer secondaries or large busway feeds. At 690 V the 17 kA still covers most industrial motor branch circuits. For DC applications, the maximum rated operational voltage Ue is 600 V; the 3VA molded case circuit breaker device manual covers the DC switching power values.
Thermal derating — what 80 A means at panel temperature
The 80 A rating holds at 45 °C and 50 °C. At 55 °C it derates to 78 A, at 60 °C to 77 A, at 65 °C to 75 A, and at 70 °C to 74 A. If your panel ambient runs hot — say a sealed enclosure near a furnace line — you need to account for that 6 A drop from 50 °C to 70 °C. The breaker dissipates 19.2 W maximum at rated load, so factor that into your enclosure thermal budget.
Panel fit and mounting
Dimensions are 130 mm high, 101.6 mm wide, 70 mm deep. The 70 mm depth is shallow enough for standard 200 mm deep enclosures with room for wiring gutters. Front IP40 protection keeps dust out of the nameplate and trip-indicator area; the rest of the breaker relies on the enclosure seal. The N-conductor protection is rated at 100%, meaning the neutral pole is fully rated — important for 4-wire systems where neutral harmonics or unbalanced loads are present.