What the ratings mean for the panel
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1220-4GF42-0AD0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 200 A continuous current at 40 °C — this is the full-load current it can carry indefinitely in a 40 °C enclosure, not a peak or a short-time rating. The TM240 thermal-magnetic release means the thermal element is fixed at 200 A (the frame rating) and the magnetic pickup is factory-set at 240 A; no field-adjustable trip unit, so the breaker is sized to the load, not tuned around it. Breaking capacity is the real differentiator here: 121 kA at 240 V, 75.6 kA at 415 V, 25 kA at 440 V, and 11.9 kA at 690 V. At 415 V, that 75.6 kA rating covers most industrial distribution panels where the available fault current at the main breaker runs 50–65 kA — this breaker clears without needing a current-limiting upstream device. At 690 V the 11.9 kA figure drops significantly; verify the point-of-installation fault level if the panel is fed from a 690 V transformer. Three auxiliary switches HQ are integrated — that is three form-C contacts for remote status indication (open/closed/tripped). No undervoltage release, no shunt trip, no ground-fault monitoring, and no communication module. This is a plain-vanilla line-protection MCCB: it protects the cable, not the motor or the process. The IP40 front protection means it is splash-proof from the front but not sealed — mount it inside a panel, not in a washdown zone.
Integration and footprint
Dimensions: 70 mm deep, 140 mm wide, 158 mm high. The 140 mm width is standard for a 4-pole SENTRON 3VA frame — it occupies four 35 mm DIN-rail modules side by side. The 70 mm depth means it fits a 200 mm deep enclosure with room for wiring gutters on both sides. Panel fill factor: one breaker per 140 mm of DIN rail. The 100% N-conductor protection design means the neutral pole is rated the same as the phase poles — no derating needed for unbalanced loads or harmonics. Storage temperature range -40 °C to 80 °C; operating range -25 °C to 70 °C. The thermal derating curve above 55 °C (–) drops from 200 A at 50 °C to 176 A at 70 °C — if the panel ambient runs hot, size the load accordingly.