What it is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA1116-3EF36-0BC0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection in distribution panels. It carries a continuous current rating of 160 A at 40 °C across all three poles, with no derating needed up to 50 °C — at 55 °C it still holds 158 A, and at 70 °C it derates to 150 A. The 3-pole construction suits three-phase feeder or branch circuits in commercial and industrial switchboards. Breaking capacity is rated at 75.6 kA at 240 V AC, 52.5 kA at 415 V, 32 kA at 440 V, and 11.9 kA at both 500 V and 690 V. That means it can safely interrupt fault currents up to those levels at the respective system voltages — critical for selectivity coordination studies in high-fault installations like large motor control centers or transformer secondaries. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, and the unit dissipates up to 40.5 W under full load — a figure to check against enclosure thermal rise in a dense panel. Operating range spans -25 °C to 70 °C, storage from -40 °C to 80 °C.
Integrated auxiliaries and releases
This MCCB ships with an undervoltage release (UVR) fitted — the design of the auxiliary release is an undervoltage release, meaning the breaker trips when supply voltage drops below a threshold, protecting downstream loads from brownout conditions. It also includes two auxiliary switches (HQ design) for remote status indication, position feedback to a PLC, or interlocking logic. There is no communication function, no ground-fault monitoring, and no voltage trigger on this variant — it is a straightforward line-protection breaker with basic auxiliaries. The trip indicator is not present, so visual trip status must be read from the handle position or via the auxiliary switches.
Panel fit and mounting
Dimensions are 130 mm height, 76.2 mm width, and 70 mm depth — a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for DIN-rail or panel-mount installation. The 70 mm depth matters when planning gland-plate clearance or enclosure depth in retrofit panels where existing backpanel wiring is fixed.