What this 3VA1220-5MH32-0BA0 is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA1220-5MH32-0BA0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for starter protection — it's the overcurrent and short-circuit protection device you'd spec ahead of a motor contactor in a motor control center or individual starter bucket. It's a 3-pole, 200 A frame with a TM120M thermal-magnetic trip unit, meaning the thermal element handles overloads and the magnetic element clears short-circuits. The 200 A rating holds flat from 40 °C up to 50 °C, then derates linearly to 176 A at 70 °C — so in a warm panel you still get the full 200 A up to 50 °C ambient. Breaking capacity is the headline here: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, 30 kA at 500 V, and 4.5 kA at 690 V. That's a high-interrupting rating for a 200 A frame — it'll handle most utility-fault conditions without needing a current-limiting fuse upstream, which simplifies the panel bill of materials.
Built-in undervoltage release and what that means for your circuit
This variant ships with an undervoltage release (UVR) integrated — the auxiliary release type is explicitly an undervoltage release, so if your control voltage drops below the dropout threshold the breaker trips. That's standard for motor starter applications where you want the breaker to open on a loss of control power, preventing an automatic restart when power returns. The UVR is wired to the control circuit, not the power path. On a DIN-rail or panel-mount installation, you'll run a separate pair from the control transformer or PLC output to the UVR terminals. No communication function on this unit — it's a standalone electromechanical trip, no Modbus or PROFIBUS interface. Physical footprint: 105 mm wide, 158 mm tall, 70 mm deep. That's a standard 3-pole MCCB width for a 200 A frame — it'll fit existing SENTRON mounting bases and busbar systems without panel rework.