What this MCCB carries and where it fits
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1096-3ED32-0AC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated 16 A continuous with a TM210 thermal-magnetic overcurrent release. Its interrupting capacity hits 75.6 kA at 240 V, 52.5 kA at 415 V, and 32 kA at 440 V — numbers that tell you it handles high-fault utility feeds or transformer secondaries without needing an upstream current-limiting fuse. At 500 V and 690 V it still holds 7.5 kA, so it's at home in 480 V or 600 V class panels too. The TM210 release means the thermal element is fixed at 16 A (no interchangeable rating plug) and the magnetic pickup is factory-set. That's a line-protection breaker — not a motor-protection device with adjustable overloads. It's sized for feeder circuits, distribution panels, or as a main disconnect on a subpanel where the load is resistive or a mix of smaller branch circuits. Thermal derating is mild: it carries the full 16 A from 45 °C up to 55 °C, then drops to 15 A at 60 °C through 70 °C. That means in a warm enclosure — say 50 °C ambient — you get full ampacity. The rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so it's fine on 480/277 V or 600 V systems with margin.
Panel fit and wiring
The case dimensions are 70 mm deep by 76.2 mm wide by 130 mm tall. That's a compact 3-pole MCCB — it fits a standard 3-inch wide slot in most Siemens panelboards or can be DIN-rail mounted with an adapter. The 70 mm depth means it clears shallow backpan enclosures where a deeper breaker would hit the gland plate. It ships with two factory-installed auxiliary switches (HQ type). Those give you a normally-open and normally-closed contact for status feedback to a PLC or a remote annunciator — no separate accessory order needed for basic indication. Maximum power loss is 10.6 W, so heat dissipation in a sealed enclosure is manageable.