What this MCCB carries — and where it fits
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1096-4ED32-0AE0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated 16 A continuous, with a TM210 thermal-magnetic overcurrent release for line protection. Its interrupting ratings climb to 121 kA at 240 V and 75.6 kA at 415 V — numbers that tell you it's built for high-fault-capacity distribution panels, not branch-level motor circuits. The 16 A rating holds flat from 45 °C to 55 °C, then derates to 15 A at 60 °C through 70 °C, so in a warm enclosure you lose one amp but keep the full interrupting capability. Four HQ auxiliary switches ride on the breaker, giving you status feedback without a separate contact block.
Panel fit and integration
Dimensions are 130 mm tall, 76.2 mm wide, 70 mm deep — standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for Siemens SENTRON 3VA frames. Mounts on a DIN rail or direct panel via the rear slots. The TM210 release is fixed thermal-magnetic, no electronic adjustment, so coordination studies stay simple: set the thermal pickup at 16 A, magnetic at 10x In. Power loss maxes at 10.6 W, manageable in a sealed enclosure without forced ventilation. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, giving headroom on 690 V systems.
What the interrupting ratings mean for selectivity
The 121 kA at 240 V and 75.6 kA at 415 V are the SCCR the breaker can clear without welding or rupturing. At 440 V it still holds 52.5 kA, and at 500 V and 690 V it drops to 11.9 kA — still enough for most industrial distribution transformers. For a site electrical engineer building a selective coordination study, these numbers mean the 3VA1096-4ED32-0AE0 can sit downstream of a higher-rated upstream breaker and still clear a bolted fault without cascading.