What this 3VA1116-1AA42-0BA0 is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA1116-1AA42-0BA0 is a SENTRON switch disconnector in an MCCB-style frame — IEC frame 160, 4-pole, rated 160 A continuous. It is built for isolation, not overcurrent protection: no overload release, no short-circuit release inside. The job is to safely break load current and provide a visible disconnect gap for a downstream circuit. The 4-pole configuration (3 phases + neutral) suits it for TN or TT systems where the neutral needs switching. The main circuit connects via busbar connection at the front terminals, which keeps the wiring plane clean in a panel. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, and it handles up to 690 V AC 50/60 Hz or 600 V DC across the poles. That AC voltage rating covers standard 400 V and 480 V distribution networks with headroom. The DC rating at 600 V makes it usable in battery or UPS circuits within that voltage ceiling. Power loss at full rated current maxes at 38 W — a number to factor into enclosure thermal calculations if the panel is densely packed. The built-in undervoltage release (UVR) trips the disconnector when coil voltage drops below its pickup threshold. This one is wound for 24 V DC. The UVR with leading contact option is not present here — the release acts directly, no early-warning auxiliary ahead of the dropout. That means if the 24 V DC control supply fails, the disconnector opens and stays open until the coil is re-energized manually or electrically. Common in safety circuits or emergency-stop chains where loss of control power should isolate the load.
Physical fit and panel integration
Dimensions: 130 mm high, 101.6 mm wide, 70 mm deep. The width is the 4-pole frame width. Front-face protection is IP40. Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C, storage from -40 °C to 80 °C.
Lifecycle and sourcing reality
For a BOM line or a panel spare, this means the 3VA1116-1AA42-0BA0 is a standard catalog item. No last-time-buy clock, no forced substitute search. The UVR at 24 V DC is a specific variant — if the panel design calls for that undervoltage release function, this order code is the direct fit. Sourced and quoted to order against an RFQ through independent distribution; availability and current pricing confirmed at quote time.
How it compares to the 3-pole line-protection siblings
The closest functional peer in the 3VA1 family is the 3VA1112-5EF32-0CA0 — a 3-pole, 125 A molded case circuit breaker with a TM240 thermal-magnetic release, line protection version, and a 24 V DC UVR. Both share the 70 mm depth, 130 mm height, IP40 front, and the same mechanical endurance of 15 000 cycles. The critical difference: the 3VA1116-1AA42-0BA0 is a switch disconnector only — no overcurrent protection — while the 3VA1112-5EF32-0CA0 is a full MCCB with LI protection. If the panel design already has upstream overcurrent protection and only needs a load-break disconnect with UVR, the 3VA1116 is the correct part. If the circuit requires integral short-circuit and overload protection, the 3VA1112-5EF32-0CA0 is the right frame. Also the pole count: 4 vs 3 — the 3VA1116 switches the neutral; the 3VA1112 does not.