SCCR and thermal derating — the numbers that decide fit
The 3VA1116-5EF42-0DC0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker from Siemens, rated for 160 A continuous current (Iu) in a 4-pole configuration. Its interrupting capacity changes sharply with system voltage: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 690 V — so the voltage you feed it determines whether it clears a fault or welds shut. The TM240 thermal-magnetic release handles the overcurrent protection, and the breaker carries an undervoltage release (UVR) as standard, which means it drops out on loss of control power — a common requirement for safety circuits in conveyor and pump panels. Thermal derating is non-linear and starts at 55 °C: the breaker holds its full 160 A up to 50 °C, then drops to 153.6 A at 55 °C, 150.4 A at 60 °C, 147.2 A at 65 °C, and 144 A at 70 °C. If your panel ambient runs above 50 °C, the continuous current you can actually pull is lower than the nameplate — plan the load accordingly.
Panel fit and auxiliaries
Footprint is 101.6 mm wide by 130 mm tall by 70 mm deep — a standard 4-pole MCCB envelope that drops into a SENTRON distribution panel or a DIN-rail-mount enclosure. IP40 on the front face means it's protected against tools and wires >1 mm, but not against water ingress; keep it inside a rated enclosure for washdown areas. Comes with two HQ auxiliary switches (form C) factory-fitted — part number 3VA9608-0BB25 for the integrated auxiliary trip. No communication module, no ground-fault monitoring, no phase-failure detection on this variant; it's a straight line-protection breaker with undervoltage release.