What it is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA1196-4EF32-0HA0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection — meaning it sits at the feeder or subfeeder to protect cables and busbars from overloads and short circuits, not a specific motor or device load. Three poles, rated 16 A continuous across the ambient range from 40 °C up to 55 °C, then derated to 15 A at 60 °C and 65 °C, and 15 A at 70 °C. Interrupting capacity is the headline here: 121 kA at 240 V AC, 75.6 kA at 415 V, 52.5 kA at 440 V, and 11.9 kA at both 500 V and 690 V — that covers high-fault scenarios common in industrial distribution downstream of large transformers. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V.
Overcurrent release and auxiliary release
Fitted with a TM240 thermal-magnetic overcurrent release — the 'TM' means fixed thermal and magnetic trip elements, no interchangeable trip unit. The '240' indicates the frame rating, not the continuous amp setting; the breaker itself is factory-set to 16 A via the release. Includes a shunt trip (STL) auxiliary release, so it can be remotely tripped by a control signal — useful for emergency-stop circuits or interlocking with upstream protection. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, no communication module on this variant — it's a straightforward thermal-magnetic line protection breaker with remote trip capability.
Physical fit and panel integration
Dimensions: 130 mm height, 76.2 mm width, 70 mm depth — standard SENTRON 3VA1 frame footprint. Width is a 3-pole unit at roughly 3 inches, so it fits a typical 3-inch-wide MCCB slot in a panelboard or switchboard. Power loss at rated current is 10.6 W maximum — factor that into enclosure thermal calculations if the panel is densely packed. Operating temperature range -25 °C to 70 °C; storage from -40 °C to 80 °C.