What this MCCB carries and what it means for your panel
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2340-5KP32-0JH0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 400 A continuous at 40 °C, designed for line protection — meaning it sits at the feeder or main distribution point, not downstream on a motor branch. Same part, different passport: this order code carries the factory-fitted auxiliary switches (2 aux + 1 trip alarm HQ) and a shunt trip release (STL), plus onboard communication function, so it's ready for a panel that needs remote status feedback and emergency tripping without adding external modules.
Breaking capacity — the number that decides fault clearance
Rated 187 kA at 240 V AC, 121 kA at 415/440 V, 75.6 kA at 500 V, and 7.5 kA at 690 V. That 187 kA figure at 240 V means this breaker clears a bolted fault on a 240 V secondary bus without upstream fuses — it's self-protected for high available fault current common in industrial step-down transformers. At 690 V the 7.5 kA rating drops sharply; if your system runs 690 V with SCCR above that, you need a current-limiting upstream device or a higher-rated frame.
Temperature derating — the real-world continuous current
Full 400 A holds from 40 °C through 50 °C ambient. Above that: 375 A at 55 °C, 350 A at 60 °C, 325 A at 65 °C, 300 A at 70 °C. If your panel internal ambient runs 60 °C (common in sealed enclosures with solar load or adjacent heat sources), you lose 50 A of headroom — size your load accordingly. The breaker itself operates up to 70 °C ambient and stores from -40 °C to 80 °C.
Lifecycle and sourcing reality
Current production — no phase-out notice on this order code. The 3VA2340-5KP32-0JH0 is an active catalog line in the SENTRON family, so standard factory lead times apply. For a BOM freeze or a PCN watch, the manufacturer's lifecycle status is 'current'; no successor has been announced. Sourced and quoted to order against an RFQ through independent distribution; availability and current pricing confirmed at quote time.
Panel fit and integration
Dimensions: 248 mm height, 138 mm width, 110 mm depth. That 110 mm depth is the body only — add clearance for the shunt trip wiring and communication cable bend radius behind the panel door. The 138 mm width is standard for a 3-pole SENTRON 3VA2 frame; it mounts on a backplate or DIN rail via the factory mounting bracket. Power loss at rated current is 96 W maximum — account for that in enclosure thermal calculations.