What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1116-6EE36-0AA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, with a TM220 thermal-magnetic overcurrent release. It carries 160 A continuously at 40 °C and derates slightly to 150 A at 70 °C — a thermal curve that matters when you're packing breakers into a warm panel without forced cooling. Breaking capacity is the headline: 220 kA at 240 V, 154 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 500/690 V. That's a high-interrupting rating for a 160 A frame — it handles fault currents on large transformers or bus feeds without needing a current-limiting fuse upstream.
Fit and integration
Dimensions: 130 mm tall, 76.2 mm wide, 70 mm deep. It's a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint — mounts on a DIN rail or panel-mount base, and the IP40 front protection means it's fine in a closed enclosure but not washdown-rated. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V. Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C, storage from -40 °C to 80 °C.
Power loss and protection features
Maximum power loss is 38 W at rated current — that's heat that has to be managed inside the panel. No undervoltage release, no trip indicator, no communication function, no ground-fault monitoring on this variant. It's a straight thermal-magnetic breaker for basic line protection.