What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1096-4ED32-0JA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection in distribution panels. It carries a 16 A rating at 40 °C and delivers a 121 kA interrupting capacity at 240 VAC — that means it can safely clear a fault up to 121,000 amps at that voltage without welding contacts or rupturing the case, which is the figure that determines whether it holds up under a bolted fault on a high-capacity transformer secondary. The TM210 overcurrent release combines a thermal bimetal for overload protection and a magnetic coil for short-circuit response. A built-in shunt trip (STL) allows remote tripping from a PLC or emergency-stop circuit — useful when you need to kill power to a panel section without pulling the handle.
Breaking capacity across voltages
Interrupting rating drops as system voltage rises: 75.6 kA at 415 V, 52.5 kA at 440 V, and 11.9 kA at both 500 V and 690 V. For a 480 V panel in North America, the 52.5 kA at 440 V is the relevant benchmark — derate slightly for the 480 V actual, but it still comfortably covers most industrial service-entrance requirements. At 690 V the 11.9 kA figure limits it to lower-fault-current installations.
Thermal derating and panel fit
Rated 16 A continuously from 40 °C to 55 °C ambient. At 60 °C it derates to 15 A, and holds there through 70 °C. That flat derating curve means you don't lose headroom until the panel interior runs hot — typical for a sealed enclosure near a furnace line or in a poorly ventilated MCC room. Dimensions: 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, 70 mm deep. The 3-pole width (76.2 mm) is standard for this frame size — it fits the same DIN-rail or mounting-plate footprint as other SENTRON 3VA breakers in the same current class. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so it's fine for 480/277 V and 600 V systems with margin.