What this 3VA1116-5EF36-0CA0 is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA1116-5EF36-0CA0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection — meaning it sits at the feeder or main distribution point in a panel, protecting downstream cables and equipment from overloads and short circuits. It's a 3-pole unit rated 160 A continuous at 40 °C, with a TM240 thermal-magnetic overcurrent release that handles the overload curve and instantaneous trip. The interrupting rating is 187 kA at 240 V, dropping to 121 kA at 415 V and 75.6 kA at 440 V — numbers that tell you it's built for high-fault-capacity industrial service, not light commercial. The 160 A rating holds flat from 40 °C through 50 °C, then derates to 158 A at 55 °C, 155 A at 60 °C, 153 A at 65 °C, and 150 A at 70 °C. That's a gentle slope — you lose only 10 A over a 30 °C rise — so it's forgiving in a warm enclosure as long as you stay under the 70 °C operating maximum. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, and the maximum power loss at full load is 40.5 W — a number to factor into enclosure thermal calculations if you're stacking several breakers in a confined space.
Panel fit and mounting
The breaker measures 70 mm deep, 76.2 mm wide, and 130 mm high. That 76.2 mm width is a standard 3-inch footprint for a 3-pole MCCB in this class — it'll drop into a panel that was laid out for a SENTRON 3VA frame without surprises. Depth of 70 mm means it clears most standard enclosure back-panels with room for wiring gutters. It comes with an undervoltage release (UVR) fitted — that's the "-5EF36" portion of the order code telling you the auxiliary release is an undervoltage type. If you're replacing a unit that had a shunt trip or no release, the UVR coil needs its own control voltage to keep the breaker closed; a dip in that supply opens the breaker. Verify your control circuit before swapping in.
What the interrupting ratings mean for your installation
The 187 kA at 240 V is the maximum short-circuit current this breaker can safely interrupt at that voltage. At 415 V it's still 121 kA, and at 440 V it's 75.6 kA. At 500 V and 690 V it holds at 17 kA. These are the values that determine whether the breaker is adequately rated for the available fault current at your service entrance or distribution panel — if your utility transformer can deliver 100 kA at 415 V, this breaker covers it.