The Siemens 5SL6308-7CC is a SENTRON miniature circuit breaker — 3-pole, C-curve, rated 8 A at 400 V AC, with a 6 kA breaking capacity per EN 60898. That 6 kA figure is the interrupting rating under the standard for overcurrent protection in residential and light commercial panels; it tells you the breaker can safely clear a fault up to 6,000 A without welding its contacts or venting arc gas into the enclosure. For a 3-module-wide (54 mm) DIN-rail mount, this is the workhorse for general-purpose branch circuits where the prospective fault current stays under that threshold.
What the ratings mean for fit
The C-curve means the magnetic trip fires at 5 to 10 times rated current — so for an 8 A breaker, instantaneous trip happens between 40 A and 80 A. That suits mixed resistive and moderate inductive loads (lighting banks, small motor circuits, general socket outlets) where you need to ride through inrush without nuisance tripping. The 6 kA SCCR at 400 V AC is the full rated breaking capacity per EN 60898; if your panel's available fault current exceeds that, you need an upstream current-limiting device or a higher-rated breaker. The 72 V DC maximum rating means it can also switch DC control circuits, but only up to that voltage — not for 110 V DC rail. Physically, the 5SL6308-7CC occupies three modular width units (54 mm total) on a DIN rail, with a depth of 76 mm and installation depth of 70 mm. It mounts in any position and accepts supplementary devices (auxiliary switches, shunt trips, alarm contacts) via the add-on slot — useful if you need remote status feedback or emergency tripping from a PLC output. The IP20 rating with connected conductors is standard for enclosed panel gear; no special washdown protection, so keep it inside the cabinet.
DIN-rail integration note
Snaps onto standard 35 mm DIN rail. The 54 mm width (3 modules) matches the standard panel layout grid; leave at least 70 mm clearance behind the rail for the breaker body. The sealable option means you can lock the toggle with a wire seal or padlock — useful for lockout/tagout on a circuit that must not be re-energised accidentally. Halogen-free and silicon-free construction matters if this goes into a clean room, medical, or semiconductor fab panel where outgassing or corrosive byproducts from a fault arc could contaminate the environment.