The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1196-4ED46-0AA0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated 16 A continuous at 40 °C, with a TM210 thermal-magnetic overcurrent release designed for line protection. Its headline breaking capacity hits 121 kA at 240 V AC — that is the short-circuit current it can safely interrupt without welding contacts or venting arc gas into the panel. At 415 V the rating drops to 75.6 kA, and at 690 V it holds at 11.9 kA, so the voltage class of your distribution bus determines which interrupting rating governs the installation.
Thermal derating and panel fit
The 16 A rating holds flat from 40 °C through 55 °C; above that it derates to 15 A at 60 °C and stays there up to 70 °C. That means a panel running warm — say, 65 °C inside the enclosure — still carries 15 A continuous without nuisance tripping. The 70 mm depth and 101.6 mm width (4-inch form factor) fit standard MCCB mounting footprints; IP40 on the front means the breaker face is protected against tools and wires but is not sealed against washdown.
Lifecycle and sourcing
The lifecycle status is current — this is an active catalog number from the Siemens SENTRON 3VA family. No end-of-life notice or last-time-buy date is available.