Key ratings and what they mean for your panel
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1163-3EF36-0AD0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, carrying a continuous current Iu of 63 A across its operating range up to 50 °C. Above that, it derates in steps: 60.48 A at 55 °C, 59.22 A at 60 °C, 57.96 A at 65 °C, and 56.7 A at 70 °C — so if your panel ambient runs hot, the effective ampacity drops, and you size the breaker for the actual temperature, not the nameplate 63 A. Breaking capacity is the headline number for an MCCB: this unit delivers 75.6 kA at 240 V, 52.5 kA at 415 V, 32 kA at 440 V, and 10.5 kA at 690 V. That 75.6 kA at 240 V means it can safely interrupt a fault current up to that level without rupturing or cascading upstream — critical for high-capacity transformer secondaries or busway feeds where available fault current is high. The overcurrent release is a TM240 — thermal-magnetic, fixed at 240 A frame rating, adjusted for the 63 A continuous current. No undervoltage release, no ground fault monitoring, no communication module, and no voltage trigger are fitted on this variant. It ships with three auxiliary switches HQ (high-qualified) for status feedback to a PLC or SCADA.
Panel integration and physical fit
The MCCB measures 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, and 70 mm deep — a 3-pole footprint that fits standard SENTRON panel cutouts. Front-side IP40 protection means it is protected against tools and small wires entering the front face but is not sealed against washdown; keep it inside a rated enclosure for wet environments. Latching endurance is rated at 15,000 operations — that is the mechanical life before the latch mechanism wears. For switching applications that cycle daily, this is a long-life device; for frequent on-off duty under load, consider a contactor ahead of the MCCB.