36V rail protection — Zener TVS in DO-214AA
Its 36V reverse standoff voltage means it will not conduct appreciably at the working voltage, while the 64.3V maximum clamping voltage sets the upper limit the protected circuitry sees during a surge event. The 9.3A peak pulse current is the current the device must sink to clamp the voltage — confirm the source impedance of your transient will not exceed this.
Bidirectional clamping — one device for AC or floating lines
With a single bidirectional channel, the SMBJ36CE3/TR13 protects both polarities of a signal pair or an AC-coupled line without needing two diodes back-to-back. The 40V minimum breakdown voltage is the threshold where avalanche conduction begins — at 36V standoff there is a 4V guard band before the part starts to clamp. The copper pad area under the cathode tab on the PCB sets the junction-to-ambient thermal resistance — a 600W pulse at 25°C ambient leaves little margin if the board copper is skimped.
The 150°C junction limit is the absolute ceiling — continuous operation near that temperature requires derating the peak pulse power per the datasheet curve.