What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1096-3ED32-0DH0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection — meaning it sits at the feeder or branch to protect cables and buswork from overloads and short circuits, not a motor or a specific load. Rated 16 A continuous at 40 °C ambient, it holds that rating all the way up to 55 °C before derating to 15 A at 60 °C and above — a solid thermal curve for a warm panel or a crowded enclosure. Breaking capacity is 75.6 kA at 240 V, 52.5 kA at 415 V, and 32 kA at 440 V — numbers that put it in the high-interrupting class for a 16 A frame, meaning it can handle a hard fault on a strong transformer without upstream coordination getting messy. At 500 V and 690 V the breaking capacity drops to 7.5 kA — still adequate for most industrial distribution but worth checking if your fault-current study shows higher at those voltages.
Built-in release and auxiliaries
This breaker ships with an undervoltage release (UVR) fitted, so it will trip if the control voltage drops — common on safety circuits or emergency-stop chains where you want the breaker to open on loss of pilot power. Auxiliary switch complement is 2 aux switches plus 1 trip-alarm switch (HQ type), giving you remote status on open/closed and a separate signal for a fault trip — enough for a PLC input or a panel lamp without adding an external relay. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so the internal clearances and creepage are designed for 690 V systems with margin.
Physical fit and panel integration
Dimensions are 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, 70 mm deep — a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint that drops into most DIN-rail or panel-mount layouts without re-drilling. Power loss is 13.1 W maximum — negligible for thermal budgeting in a ventilated enclosure but worth noting if the panel is sealed and densely packed. Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C — fine for unheated warehouses or outdoor cabinets in most climates.