The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1116-4EF32-0BC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection at 160 A continuous current, with a breaking capacity of 121 kA at 240 VAC. It carries an undervoltage release and two HQ auxiliary switches built in — no add-on module needed for basic trip signaling or shunt control. The 76.2 mm width and 70 mm depth fit the standard SENTRON panel footprint, so it drops into existing 3VA-based distribution boards without re-drilling the mounting plate.
Breaking capacity and selectivity headroom
At 415 V the interrupting rating is 75.6 kA, dropping to 52.5 kA at 440 V and 11.9 kA at both 500 V and 690 V. That gives the panel designer clear selectivity boundaries: at 400 V class the breaker can clear a bolted fault downstream of a larger upstream device without nuisance trip of the main. The 800 V rated insulation voltage (Ui) confirms the internal air gaps and creepage are sized for 690 V line-to-line systems, not just 480 V.
Thermal derating and power dissipation
The 160 A rating holds flat from 40 °C through 50 °C ambient. Derating starts at 55 °C (158 A) and drops to 150 A at 70 °C. For a panel with internal temperature rise of 15–20 K above room ambient, that means the breaker can be loaded to nameplate in a 50 °C enclosure without forced ventilation. Maximum power loss is 40.5 W — relevant for thermal simulation of densely packed distribution boards.
Integrated auxiliary and release options
Factory-fitted with two HQ auxiliary switches and an undervoltage release (UVR). The UVR trips the breaker when control voltage drops below dropout threshold — typical for emergency-stop chains or undervoltage protection schemes that need the load disconnected on power loss. No trip indicator or voltage trigger is installed; no communication module or ground-fault monitoring is present on this variant. The supplied basic switch is order code 3VA11164EF320AA0, which is the internal switching mechanism.
Environmental limits
Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C. The storage minimum matters for unheated warehouses in cold climates — the breaker can sit at -40 °C without damage, though it must be warmed above -25 °C before energizing.