What the ratings mean for fit
The 3VA2340-6HL32-0CH0 is a 3-pole SENTRON molded case circuit breaker rated for 400 A continuous at 40 °C, with an adjustable thermal-magnetic trip unit spanning 600 A to 4 000 A — so it covers feeder and large motor circuits where the load current sits well below the breaker's frame rating, giving you coordination headroom without swapping the chassis. Short-circuit breaking capacity runs 242 kA at 240 V, 187 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 121 kA at 500 V, and 7.5 kA at 690 V — the steep drop above 500 V means you need to verify the available fault current at the point of installation if the system runs 690 V line-to-line; below that, the SCCR is generous enough for most industrial switchboards. Thermal derating is published per degree: full 400 A up to 50 °C, then 385 A at 55 °C, 370 A at 60 °C, 355 A at 65 °C, and 340 A at 70 °C — if your panel ambient runs hot, that 340 A at 70 °C is the real continuous limit, not the 400 A nameplate.
Built-in auxiliaries and release
This variant ships with an undervoltage release (UVR) and two auxiliary switches plus a separate trip-alarm switch (HQ configuration) — the UVR drops the breaker if control voltage falls, which is standard for emergency-stop and safety isolation circuits where a loss of control power must open the main contacts. The basic switch is order code 3VA2340-6HL32-0AA0 — the -0CH0 suffix adds the UVR and aux-switch package, so if you already have a bare 3VA2340-6HL32-0AA0 in the panel and need the releases, this variant is a drop-in replacement with the same frame and trip unit.
Lifecycle and sourcing
Maximum power loss is 98.5 W at rated load — that's the heat the panel's ventilation needs to shed; if you're packing multiple breakers in a closed enclosure, sum the losses and check the temperature rise against the derating curve above.
Panel fit and dimensions
Dimensions are 248 mm high, 138 mm wide, 110 mm deep — the 138 mm width is the standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for this frame size, so it fits existing SENTRON 3VA mounting bases and bus-bar kits without panel rework. Storage temperature range is -40 °C to 80 °C; operating range is -25 °C to 70 °C — the storage limit governs warehousing and shipping, not running conditions.