What this MCCB carries — and what it means for your panel
The Siemens 3VA2325-5MN32-0AE0 is a 3-pole SENTRON molded case circuit breaker rated 250 A continuous at 40 °C, built for motor protection duty with an ETU350M electronic trip unit. The ETU350M gives you adjustable overload and short-circuit protection curves — phase-failure detection is standard, so it handles three-phase motor loads without an external phase-loss relay. Breaking capacity runs 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 75.6 kA at 500 V, and 17 kA at 690 V. That 187 kA at 240 V means this breaker clears high-fault scenarios on the low-voltage side of a step-down transformer without cascading upstream — useful for large switchboards or industrial MDPs where the available fault current is substantial. Current derating is published per degree: 250 A holds through 50 °C, drops to 240 A at 55 °C, 235 A at 60 °C, 230 A at 65 °C, and 225 A at 70 °C. If your panel ambient runs above 50 °C, the 240 A at 55 °C figure is the one to size against — not the 250 A nameplate.
Physical fit and auxiliary wiring
Dimensions are 138 mm wide, 248 mm high, 110 mm deep — standard 3-pole MCCB footprint that fits SENTRON 3VA2 panel-mounting bases and common DIN-rail adapters. The front face carries IP40 protection, so it's suited for enclosed panel installation where tools or fingers won't contact live parts through the front cover. Four auxiliary switches (HQ type) are integrated — two NO + two NC or four NO, depending on the HQ variant ordered. No undervoltage release or shunt trip is built in, so if you need UVR or shunt, it's an external add-on. The 4-switch auxiliary stack is enough to report breaker status to a PLC and interlock a downstream contactor without an extra auxiliary block.