The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1116-5EF42-0HC0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for 160 A continuous at 40 °C, with a massive 187 kA interrupting capacity at 240 V — built for the pit, where fault current is brutal and you need selectivity headroom without cascading upstream. The 187 kA at 240 V tells you this thing clears a direct bolted fault on a 2000 kVA transformer secondary without self-destructing. That's not a number you see on a standard distribution breaker; it's sized for heavy industrial service entrances or mill feeder circuits.
Ratings and what they mean for fit
The 160 A rating holds steady from 40 °C up to 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 sits in a hot mill environment or a non-climate-controlled enclosure, the 150 A at 70 °C is your real-world continuous limit — don't load it to 160 A if the ambient hits that. The interrupting curve drops as voltage climbs: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 500 V and 690 V. For a 480 V feeder, the 75.6 kA still gives you massive fault-clearing muscle, enough to coordinate with downstream breakers in a multi-level distribution scheme. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so it's comfortable on 690 V systems with margin.
Built-in trip and auxiliary options
This MCCB ships with a shunt trip release (STL) and two HQ auxiliary switches. The shunt trip lets you remotely trip the breaker from a PLC output or emergency-stop circuit — critical for a safety chain where you need to kill power to a crusher or conveyor from a central panel. The two auxiliary switches give status feedback (open/closed/tripped) back to the control system. The basic switch assembly is order code 3VA11165EF420AA0, which is the internal mechanism; if you ever need to swap the trip unit, that's the core to order. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, no communication function — this is a plain line-protection breaker with remote trip capability, not a smart breaker.
Lifecycle and sourcing
The lifecycle status is current — Siemens still actively manufactures this order code. No PCN or EOL notice has been issued.
Mounting and panel fit
Dimensions: 130 mm height, 101.6 mm width, 70 mm depth. The 70 mm depth fits standard distribution enclosures.