The C160H450FM is a Schneider ComPacT NS new generation 4-pole circuit breaker, rated 1600 A at 50 °C with a MicroLogic 5.0 electronic trip unit. This is the part you spec into a main switchboard or heavy distribution panel where you need L, S, and I protection curves configurable via the trip unit.
Drop to 690 V and it still holds 42 kA Icu, which covers most industrial step-down transformers. The IEC 60947-2 Category B rating means it's fully selective with downstream breakers, so a fault on a branch won't take the whole board dark. For a 1600 A main, that matters.
Trip unit and protection curves
The 20-minute thermal memory means it remembers prior heating after a trip — no nuisance reclose on a still-hot cable. Power losses are 74 W at rated current, which matters for ventilation calc in a sealed enclosure. Four red LEDs for fault type and one yellow for overload give you a quick diagnostic without plugging in a UTA.
Operates at 0–2000 m without derating; above that, up to 5000 m with derating. Humidity tolerance 0–95% non-condensing. Complies with EN/IEC 60947-2; no earth-leakage protection built in (that's a separate module).
Durability and service life
Mechanical durability is 10,000 cycles — the handle mechanism. Electrical durability depends on the load: 1000 cycles at full 690 V In, 2000 at half load, 5000 at 440 V full load, and 5000 at half load. That's typical for a fixed-mount breaker of this class; it's not a switching device for daily motor starts, but it handles infrequent manual operations and maintenance switching without issue.