What this MCB is and what it does
The Siemens 5SL6232-7CC is a 2-pole miniature circuit breaker from the SENTRON family, rated 32 A with a C-curve trip characteristic. It breaks fault currents up to 6 kA per EN 60898 at 400 V AC — that's the standard for protecting branch circuits in residential and light commercial panels against short circuits and overloads. The C-curve means it trips between 5 and 10 times rated current, so it's the right choice for circuits feeding motor loads, transformers, or fluorescent lighting where a brief inrush won't nuisance-trip a B-curve device.
Panel fit and mounting
This breaker occupies 2 modular width units (36 mm) on a DIN rail, with a depth of 76 mm and installation depth of 70 mm. It mounts in any position, which simplifies layout in crowded enclosures. The IP20 rating (with connected conductors) is standard for protected indoor panels — no special sealing needed for a dry electrical room. It accepts supplementary devices (shunt trips, auxiliary contacts) for remote signaling or emergency-off functions, and the housing is sealable for metering applications where tamper evidence matters.
Thermal performance and derating
Rated 32 A at 30 °C ambient, the 5SL6232-7CC derates to 30.18 A at 40 °C, 29.22 A at 45 °C, 28.24 A at 50 °C, and 27.22 A at 55 °C. If your panel runs warm — say, a packed enclosure near a drive — size the load for the actual ambient, not the 30 °C sticker. Power loss per pole is 4.6 W at rated current in hot operating state, so two poles together dump about 9.2 W into the enclosure; factor that into your thermal budget.
Environmental and compliance
Halogen-free and silicon-free construction, pollution degree 2, overvoltage category III. Operating temperature range spans -40 °C to 75 °C, with vibration resistance tested to 50 m/s² at 25 to 150 Hz per IEC 60068-2-6. Suitable for infrastructure and residential building operation per the manufacturer's classification.