The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1116-5EF32-0HC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, carrying a continuous current of 160 A up to 50 °C and derating to 150 A at 70 °C. Its interrupting capacity reaches 187 kA at 240 V and 121 kA at 415 V — figures that tell you it can clear high-fault currents on a distribution bus without cascading upstream. The breaker includes a shunt trip (STL) release and two auxiliary switches HQ for remote status feedback.
Breaking capacity and what it means for your panel
The 187 kA at 240 V and 121 kA at 415 V are the maximum fault currents this MCCB can safely interrupt at those voltages. At 440 V that drops to 75.6 kA, and at 500 V and 690 V it holds at 17 kA. If your service entrance or sub-feed has a prospective short-circuit current above those numbers at the respective voltage, you need a higher-rated breaker upstream — this one will not hold. For most industrial 400 V distribution boards with typical transformer sizes, 121 kA covers a 2 MVA transformer at around 5% impedance.
Thermal derating and continuous current
Rated 160 A continuous from 40 °C to 50 °C, then derates linearly: 158 A at 55 °C, 155 A at 60 °C, 153 A at 65 °C, and 150 A at 70 °C. If your panel ambient runs above 50 °C — common in a packed enclosure with drives or transformers — size your load at the derated figure, not the 160 A label. The breaker dissipates 38 W maximum at rated current; that heat stays inside the enclosure and adds to the thermal budget.
Lifecycle and sourcing reality
Lifecycle stage is current; no last-time-buy notice or successor published. Availability and pricing confirmed at quote time.
Auxiliary functions and release options
This variant ships with a shunt trip (STL) release and two auxiliary switches HQ. The shunt trip lets you remotely trip the breaker via a control voltage — useful for emergency-stop circuits or remote shutdown. The two auxiliary switches provide status (open/closed) to a PLC or indicator lamp. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, no communication function on this order code.