Line protection breaker, 160 A, with headroom to 70 °C
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1116-5EE32-0AB0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection at 160 A continuous current (Iu). The TM220 thermal-magnetic release covers overload and short-circuit protection without undervoltage or ground-fault accessories — a clean, no-extra-trip-units build for straightforward feeder or main breaker duty in distribution panels. Breaking capacity is the headline: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 690 V. That 187 kA at 240 V puts it well into high-fault-current territory — think large transformer secondaries or industrial mains where available fault current exceeds 100 kA. The 415 V and 440 V figures cover most European and North American industrial line-to-line voltages with generous headroom. Thermal performance holds 160 A flat from 40 °C through 50 °C, then derates gradually to 144 A at 70 °C. That means no up-sizing needed for a warm panel up to 50 °C; above that, the curve is predictable and published — plan your enclosure ventilation if you need the full 160 A at 60 °C or higher.
Mounting and integration — panel fit
Dimensions: 70 mm deep, 76.2 mm wide, 130 mm tall. The 76.2 mm width is a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint — fits existing SENTRON 3VA panel cutouts and busbar arrangements without re-drilling. Front IP40 protects against tool entry; the body itself is open for heat dissipation inside the enclosure. Auxiliary contact version is 2 auxiliary switches HP (high-performance), wired separately from the main trip mechanism. Useful for remote status indication or PLC interlocks — the HP designation means higher switching reliability for control circuits compared to standard auxiliary contacts. Operating temperature range -25 °C to 70 °C; storage from -40 °C to 80 °C. The storage minimum is the binding limit for cold warehouse or unheated site storage before installation.
What the TM220 release means for coordination
The TM220 overcurrent release is a thermal-magnetic type with adjustable thermal trip time (tr max. 1 s at a multiple of Iu). That adjustability lets you coordinate with downstream breakers or fuses — set the thermal delay to ride through motor inrush or transformer energization without nuisance tripping, while the magnetic instantaneous element handles short-circuit faults. No electronic trip unit here, so no communication or phase-failure detection; this is a straightforward, serviceable breaker for standard distribution.