What It Is and What It Does
The Siemens 3VA1110-5MH32-0AH0 is a 3-pole IEC molded-case circuit breaker (MCCB) in the 3VA1 series, built on a 160 A frame. It's configured for motor starter protection — the TM120M thermal-magnetic trip unit is set at 100 A (In) and provides short-circuit protection only, with no overload protection function in this variant. The adjustable instantaneous trip (Ii) ranges from 5 to 15 times In, so you can dial it in for motor inrush without nuisance tripping on a pump or conveyor start.
Breaking Capacity and Coordination
Rated Icu of 55 kA at 415 V AC puts this in breaking capacity class M — middle of the 3VA1 range, below the H (high) and above the S (standard) classes. That 55 kA at 415 V means it can safely interrupt a fault current up to that level without welding the contacts or cascading the arc upstream. For a 480 V or 600 V panel, the Icu will be lower; check the selectivity tables if you're coordinating with a downstream contactor or motor-protective device. The 160 A frame gives headroom for the 100 A trip — you're not running the frame at its thermal limit.
What's in the Box
This order code ships with a nut keeper kit (captive hardware for panel mounting), two HQ auxiliary switches, and one HQ trip alarm switch. The HQ designation means the auxiliary switches are rated for high electrical endurance — they'll handle the switching duty on a PLC input or a remote indication lamp without early failure. The trip alarm switch changes state only when the breaker trips on fault, not on manual open, so you can wire it to a horn or a SCADA alarm point.