What this MCCB carries and where it fits
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1116-5EF32-0AF0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 160 A continuous current (Iu) with a TM240 thermal-magnetic release. It's a line-protection device — meaning it's sized for feeder or main breaker duty in a distribution panel, not motor-protection curves. The interrupting capacity tells the real story: 187 kA at 240 V AC, 121 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 690 V. That 187 kA figure at 240 V is the headline — it clears a high-fault bolted short without the breaker self-destructing, which matters when you're feeding a transformer secondary or a busway with stiff utility service. The TM240 release has an adjustable long-time delay (tr max 1 s) for coordinating with downstream feeders.
Thermal derating — the real-world current you can actually pull
This breaker holds its full 160 A rating from 40 °C through 50 °C ambient. At 55 °C it derates to 153.6 A, at 60 °C to 150.4 A, at 65 °C to 147.2 A, and at 70 °C to 144 A. If your panel interior runs hot — say a packed enclosure with multiple breakers — that 144 A at 70 °C is the number to size against, not the nameplate 160 A. The operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C.
Physical fit and auxiliary contacts
Dimensions: 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, 70 mm deep. That 76.2 mm width is three pole spaces on a standard DIN rail or panel-mount footprint — it occupies the same 3-module width as other 160 A frame MCCBs. The front face carries an IP40 protection class, so it's fine for a dry indoor panel but not washdown. It ships with one auxiliary switch and one trip alarm switch (HQ type) factory-fitted — that's the 1 AUX + 1 ALARM contact block for status feedback to a PLC or annunciator. No undervoltage release, no shunt trip, no ground-fault module, no communication function, no phase-failure detection. If you need any of those, you're looking at a different variant or an add-on accessory.