What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1116-5EF36-0KA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection in distribution panels. It carries a rated current of 160 A up to 40 °C ambient, with a thermal-magnetic trip unit (TM240) and an integrated shunt trip release (STL) for remote tripping. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, and the interrupting capacity reaches 187 kA at 240 V AC — enough to handle high-fault utility feeds or transformer secondaries without cascading upstream breakers.
Breaking capacity across voltages
At 415 V AC the breaker interrupts 121 kA; at 440 V it handles 75.6 kA; at 500 V and 690 V it still clears 17 kA. That voltage-dependent curve means you can apply this MCCB on 480 V or 600 V class systems and still get a useful fault rating — not just a 240 V nameplate number.
Thermal derating and panel fit
Rated current holds flat at 160 A from 40 °C through 50 °C. Above that it derates gradually: 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 hot, the 70 °C figure is the one to size against — not the 40 °C sticker. Footprint is 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, 70 mm deep — a standard 3-pole MCCB envelope that drops into most SENTRON distribution blocks and panelboards without re-drilling gland plates.