What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1116-6EF36-0DA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection in distribution panels. It carries a TM240 thermal-magnetic release — the thermal element handles overloads, the magnetic element handles short-circuits — and includes a factory-fitted undervoltage release (UVR) that trips the breaker when supply voltage drops below a threshold, preventing automatic reclosure on a dead line.
Key ratings — what they mean for your panel
Rated 160 A continuously at 40 °C ambient (derates to 150 A at 70 °C), so it handles a full 160 A bus without nuisance tripping in a normally ventilated enclosure. The breaking capacity is 220 kA at 240 V AC, dropping to 154 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 500/690 V — that 220 kA figure means it safely interrupts faults up to 220,000 A at 240 V without cascading upstream, critical for high-fault-capacity service entrances or transformer secondaries. Insulation voltage rated 800 V, so the breaker is suitable for 690 V line-to-line systems with margin. The UVR (undervoltage release) is the key differentiator on this variant: if the control voltage dips or fails, the breaker opens and stays open until manually reset — standard for safety circuits where a machine must not restart automatically after a power loss. The TM240 release is a fixed thermal-magnetic type, not electronic, so no auxiliary power is needed for the trip unit; it's self-powered from the line side.
Where it goes — panel integration
Mounts on a DIN rail or direct-panel via the standard SENTRON 3VA footprint. Dimensions: 130 mm height, 76.2 mm width (3 inches — three 1-inch pole spaces), 70 mm depth. The 3-pole width matches a standard 3-inch cutout in panel gland plates. Power loss is 40.5 W maximum at rated load — account for that heat in enclosure sizing, especially if grouped with other breakers. Operating temperature range -25 °C to 70 °C; storage from -40 °C to 80 °C.