What this MCCB is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2450-7MN32-0CL0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed specifically for motor protection. It carries a continuous current rating of 500 A at 40 °C, derating to 480 A at 70 °C — the full thermal curve is on the nameplate. The interrupting capacity reaches 330 kA at 240 V and 242 kA at 415 V, dropping to 15.3 kA at 690 V. That 330 kA figure at 240 V tells you this breaker is built for high-fault locations like a main feeder downstream of a large transformer — it will clear a bolted fault without rupturing.
Motor protection and auxiliary complement
This variant is wired for motor duty: it includes phase failure detection and an undervoltage release (UVR), so a lost phase or a brownout trips the breaker before the motor cooks. The auxiliary switch block carries two auxiliary switches, one trip alarm switch, and one electrical alarm switch — enough to signal status back to a PLC or annunciator panel. The power loss at full rating is 101.5 W maximum, which matters for enclosure thermal management if the breaker is in a sealed box.
Lifecycle and sourcing
The lifecycle stage is marked as current — meaning Siemens still lists it as an active catalog number. No successor has been announced. For a BOM freeze or a line-down replacement, this part is sourced to order against an RFQ through independent distribution; availability and current pricing are confirmed at quote time.
Panel fit and dimensions
The breaker measures 110 mm deep, 138 mm wide, and 248 mm high. That 138 mm width is a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint — it will drop into a panel cutout sized for a SENTRON 3VA frame without rework. The 110 mm depth includes the handle and the auxiliary switch block, so leave clearance for wiring and the UVR coil.