The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1116-5EF42-0KC0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, carrying a 160 A continuous current at 40 °C and a breaking capacity of 187 kA at 240 V. This is the interrupting capability that determines whether the breaker clears a fault before upstream devices trip — critical for selectivity studies on a distribution board.
Breaking capacity across voltages
The 3VA1116-5EF42-0KC0 delivers 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at both 500 V and 690 V. That 17 kA floor at 690 V is the number to check if this breaker lands on a 690 V distribution bus — it still handles high fault currents but the margin tightens.
Thermal derating — the real-world current
Rated 160 A from 40 °C through 50 °C ambient, 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 the panel ambient runs above 50 °C, the continuous load must be backed off by the derating curve — the breaker won't trip on overload at 155 A in a 60 °C enclosure, but the internal bimetal is calibrated for that lower threshold.
Built-in shunt trip and auxiliary switches
This variant ships with a shunt trip (STL) release for remote tripping and two HQ auxiliary switches for status feedback to a PLC or indication lamp. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring — those would be separate order-code suffixes if the application demands them.
Panel fit — dimensions and mounting
Measures 130 mm high, 101.6 mm wide, 70 mm deep — a 4-pole MCCB that fits the standard SENTRON mounting footprint. The 70 mm depth leaves clearance behind a 200 mm deep enclosure door; the 101.6 mm width occupies four 25 mm module spaces on a DIN rail or bolted busbar.