What this MCCB is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA1163-5ED32-0HC0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection in industrial power distribution. With 3 poles and a rated current of 63 A at 40 °C, it handles continuous loads up to that level without derating at typical panel ambient temperatures — the rating holds all the way to 50 °C, then tapers to 58 A at 70 °C. Breaking capacity is the headline: 187 kA at 240 V AC, 121 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at both 500 V and 690 V. That means it can safely interrupt very high fault currents on the low-voltage side of a transformer or near a large motor bank — useful where the available fault current at the panel exceeds what a standard MCB can handle. The breaker includes a shunt trip release (STL) for remote tripping and two HQ auxiliary switches for status feedback. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, and maximum power loss is 17.3 W. It operates from -25 °C to 70 °C and stores from -40 °C to 80 °C.
Panel fit and integration
Mounts on a DIN rail or directly to a panel backplate. Dimensions: 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, 70 mm deep — standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for this class. The 3VA1163-5ED32-0HC0 shares the same frame size as other 3VA1 breakers, so a panel laid out for a 3VA1110 variant will accept this unit without rewiring the bus bars or changing the mounting holes.
What the ratings mean for your BOM line
The 63 A rating at 40 °C is the continuous current the breaker can carry without tripping. If your panel ambient runs hotter — say 60 °C — the breaker still holds 61 A, so you don't need to oversize for a warm enclosure. The 187 kA interrupting rating at 240 V means it can clear a bolted fault on a 240 V bus with very high available current, typical near a large step-down transformer. At 690 V the same breaker still interrupts 17 kA, covering most industrial motor circuits.