Siemens SENTRON 3VA1096-3ED32-0KC0 — 16 A MCCB for Line Protection
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1096-3ED32-0KC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for 16 A continuous current at 40 °C, with a thermal derating curve that holds 16 A up to 55 °C before stepping to 15 A at 60 °C through 70 °C. Its interrupting capacity reaches 75.6 kA at 240 V AC, 52.5 kA at 415 V, and 32 kA at 440 V — numbers that govern its selectivity and SCCR headroom in a distribution panel. The 800 V rated insulation voltage (Ui) and 10.6 W maximum power loss are the figures a panel designer uses for busbar spacing and thermal budget.
Breaking Capacity and Coordination
This MCCB is designed for line protection — meaning it sits upstream of branch circuits, clearing faults before they propagate. The 75.6 kA at 240 V is the highest short-circuit current it can safely interrupt at that voltage; at 690 V that figure drops to 7.5 kA. For a project engineer building a selective coordination study, those are the values that determine whether this breaker holds or trips ahead of downstream devices. The shunt trip (STL) release and two auxiliary switches (HQ) let it integrate into a remote-trip or status-monitoring scheme without an external control relay.
Panel Integration and Mounting
The breaker measures 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, and 70 mm deep — a standard SENTRON 3VA form factor that mounts on a DIN rail or directly to a backplate via screw terminals. The 3-pole footprint matches the existing cutout in most distribution boards sized for 125 A frame MCCBs. The 70 mm depth is the dimension to check when the enclosure door clearance is tight, especially with the shunt trip and auxiliary switch block installed on the side.