160 A MCCB with 187 kA interrupting capacity — what the ratings mean for your panel
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1116-5EF42-0BH0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated 160 A at 40 °C ambient, with a maximum interrupting capacity of 187 kA at 240 V AC. That 187 kA figure drops to 121 kA at 415 V and 75.6 kA at 440 V, so the available fault current at your service voltage is the deciding number for SCCR coordination — not the headline 240 V rating. At 500 V and 690 V the breaker still holds 17 kA, which covers most industrial distribution panels on 480Y/277 V or 600 V systems. The breaker is configured for line protection (not feeder or motor protection), meaning it's intended for main or branch circuit protection where the load is a distribution bus rather than a specific motor or transformer. The built-in undervoltage release (UVR) lets you trip the breaker on loss of control voltage — common in safety circuits or emergency-stop chains where you want the main disconnect to drop if the control supply fails.
Thermal derating and enclosure fit
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. If your panel ambient runs above 50 °C, you lose 2–10 A — enough to matter on a fully loaded bus. The 70 mm depth x 101.6 mm width x 130 mm height footprint is standard for the SENTRON 3VA frame; it mounts on a DIN rail or panel plate without adapters. Power loss is 40.5 W maximum at rated current — that heat goes into the enclosure. For a sealed stainless steel box in a washdown area, factor that into the thermal rise calculation. The operating range is -25 °C to 70 °C, storage from -40 °C to 80 °C.
Auxiliary switches and trip alarm
This variant ships with 2 auxiliary switches plus 1 trip alarm switch (HQ type). The trip alarm signals a fault trip separately from manual on/off status — useful for remote SCADA or PLC inputs that need to distinguish between a breaker opened by hand and one that tripped on overcurrent. The auxiliary switches can be wired for status feedback to a controller or for interlocking. The insulation voltage is rated 800 V, which covers 690 V systems with margin. The breaker includes a trip indicator (mechanical flag) for local visual confirmation of trip state.