What this MCCB delivers
The Siemens 3VA1196-3EF32-0HH0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker from the SENTRON family, rated for 16 A continuous current with a TM240 thermal-magnetic release. It's built for line protection — meaning it sits upstream protecting a feeder or distribution bus, not a specific motor or drive. The interrupting ratings climb to 75.6 kA at 240 V, 52.5 kA at 415 V, and still holds 10.5 kA at 690 V, so it handles high-fault utility feeds without cascading upstream. The TM240 release is a fixed thermal-magnetic type — no interchangeable rating plugs, so what you order (16 A) is what protects the circuit. That's fine for a BOM line where the load is known and stable; less flexible if you're stocking one breaker for multiple tap sizes. The shunt trip (STL) integrated release lets a remote signal or emergency-stop circuit open the breaker independently of the overcurrent element — useful in safety circuits or remote shutdown schemes.
Sizing and thermal derating
This breaker carries its full 16 A rating from 40 °C through 50 °C ambient. Above that, it starts to taper: 15.36 A at 55 °C, 15.04 A at 60 °C, 14.72 A at 65 °C, and 14.4 A at 70 °C. If the panel runs hot — say a non-ventilated enclosure near a furnace line — you need to account for that derating at the design stage, not after commissioning. The operating range spans -25 °C to 70 °C, with storage from -40 °C to 80 °C.
Panel fit and auxiliary wiring
Dimensions are 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide, and 70 mm deep — a standard SENTRON 3VA footprint that drops into a DIN-rail or screw-mounted panel grid. The front face carries IP40 protection, so it's fine for a clean indoor panel but not for washdown zones. The auxiliary contact block is factory-fitted as 2 auxiliary switches plus 1 trip alarm switch (HQ version), which gives you two N/O or N/C signals for status feedback and a dedicated alarm contact that changes state only on a trip event — handy for remote annunciation without extra wiring. The integrated auxiliary trip uses order code 3VA9688-0BL30 — that's the factory-installed shunt trip module, not a field-addon kit. If you need undervoltage release or phase-failure detection, this variant doesn't carry them; those are separate order codes in the 3VA family.