What this MCCB is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1196-4EF32-0KA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for 16 A continuous current (Iu) and built for line protection — meaning it sits at the feeder or subfeeder to protect cables and busbars from overloads and short circuits, not motor branch circuits. It carries a TM240 thermal-magnetic overcurrent release, so the thermal element handles sustained overloads and the magnetic element clears hard shorts fast.
Breaking capacity — what the numbers mean for your panel
This breaker's interrupting capacity changes with system voltage: 121 kA at 240 V AC, 75.6 kA at 415 V, 52.5 kA at 440 V, and 11.9 kA at 690 V. At 415 V — the most common industrial distribution voltage in many regions — 75.6 kA SCCR gives you headroom for high-fault panels without cascading upstream. The 690 V figure is lower but still covers most standard transformer-fed installations. The rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so the internal clearances are sized for 690 V systems.
Thermal derating — the real-world current you can carry
At 40 °C, 45 °C, and 50 °C ambient, the breaker holds the full 16 A rating. Above that it derates: 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 your panel internal temperature runs hot — sealed enclosure, high-density layout — factor the 55 °C or 60 °C row into your load calculation. The operating range is -25 °C to 70 °C, so cold starts in unheated enclosures are fine.
Auxiliary trip and release options
This variant includes a shunt trip (STL) auxiliary release — voltage-triggered remote tripping for emergency-stop or supervisory circuits. The integrated auxiliary trip is part number 3VA9688-0BL33. There is no undervoltage release, no auxiliary contact, no ground-fault monitoring, and no communication module. It is a clean, no-frills line protection breaker with one remote-trip channel.
Physical fit and panel integration
Dimensions are 130 mm height, 76.2 mm width, and 70 mm depth. The 76.2 mm width is a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for DIN-rail or panel-mount backplates. IP40 on the front face means it is protected against tools and wires >1 mm but not against water ingress — keep it inside a rated enclosure. Latching endurance is 15,000 cycles, which is typical for a distribution breaker that sees infrequent switching.