400 A MCCB with a 4800 A frame — what that means on the line
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2440-5HN32-0KA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection in industrial distribution panels. Its 400 A continuous rating holds flat from 40 °C all the way to 70 °C — no derating curve to chase in a hot switchroom. The 4800 A frame gives you headroom to swap in a higher-rated trip unit later without swapping the breaker body. Interrupting capacity is the number that decides whether this breaker clears a fault or welds shut: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 75.6 kA at 500 V, and 9 kA at 690 V. That 187 kA at 240 V is unusually high — it means this breaker can be the main in a high-fault-current panel downstream of a large transformer without needing a current-limiting fuse ahead of it. The shunt trip release (STL) fitted as standard means you can remotely trip this breaker from a safety relay, E-stop circuit, or fire alarm panel. No undervoltage release is present, so a loss of control power won't drop the breaker — that's the right choice for critical process loads that must stay online unless commanded off.
Sourcing and lifecycle — current production, quoted to order
The SENTRON 3VA series is Siemens' standard MCCB platform for commercial and industrial power distribution. Spares holding is straightforward: the 400 A rating and 4800 A frame are common enough that a replacement can be sourced without a long lead-time risk, but keeping one in the cabinet for a critical feeder is the prudent move — no spare, no sleep.
Panel fit and integration
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 — it occupies three 45 mm module positions on a DIN rail or mounts directly to a backplate with the supplied hardware. The 110 mm depth leaves clearance for rear-connected busbars or cable lugs in a typical 400 mm deep enclosure. Maximum power loss is 63.5 W — account for that in your enclosure thermal calculation if the breaker is enclosed with other heat sources. Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C.