What ships in the carton
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2340-5HL42-0AE0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for 400 A continuous current, designed for line protection in distribution panels. It ships with the basic switch variant 3VA2340-5HL42-0AA0 and includes 4 auxiliary switches (HQ type) factory-installed — no separate accessory order needed for basic status feedback. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, and no communication module are fitted on this variant, so the kit is complete as a standalone overcurrent protector.
Interrupting capacity and thermal derating — the real selection numbers
The interrupting ratings span from 187 kA at 240 V down to 7.5 kA at 690 V, with 121 kA at both 415 V and 440 V. For a 400 V panel feeding a motor control center, the 121 kA SCCR at 415 V gives substantial headroom above typical 50–65 kA available fault currents. At 500 V the rating drops to 75.6 kA, still adequate for most industrial services. The 690 V figure of 7.5 kA is the weak point — verify your system's bolted-fault calculation if the breaker sits on a 690 V bus. Thermal derating is flat at 400 A from 40 °C through 50 °C, then steps down: 385 A at 55 °C, 370 A at 60 °C, 355 A at 65 °C, and 340 A at 70 °C. If the breaker lives in a non-air-conditioned enclosure near a furnace line or in a Middle Eastern switchroom, the 55–70 °C derating curve governs the actual load it can carry — not the nameplate 400 A.
Panel fit and integration
Dimensions are 110 mm depth, 184 mm width, 248 mm height. The 184 mm width across 4 poles means it occupies roughly 46 mm per pole — standard for a 400 A frame MCCB. Mounting is via the rear panel or DIN-rail adapter (not included in this variant). The 96 W maximum power loss at rated current must be factored into the enclosure thermal budget; a ventilated or air-conditioned cabinet is advisable above 300 A continuous load.
Environmental and compliance notes
Operating temperature range is -25 °C to +70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to +80 °C. The storage minimum of -40 °C matters for cold-weather warehousing or unheated site containers — the breaker can sit through a northern winter without damage. No trip indicator, voltage trigger, or communication function is present on this order code; it is a pure electromechanical thermal-magnetic or electronic-trip MCCB (the evidence does not specify trip type, but the line-protection designation and absence of communication point to a standard thermal-magnetic or basic electronic trip unit).