What this MCCB is and where it lands
The Siemens 3VA1196-4EF36-0AE0 is a 3-pole SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, with a TM240 thermal-magnetic release and a 16 A continuous current at 40 °C ambient. It carries a 121 kA interrupting capacity 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 — so it handles high fault currents across common industrial voltages without cascading upstream. The 76.2 mm wide, 130 mm tall, 70 mm deep body mounts on a DIN rail or panel, sized for a standard MCCB slot in a distribution board or motor control center.
Thermal derating and what it means for a packed panel
The breaker holds full 16 A rating from 40 °C through 55 °C ambient; at 60 °C it derates to 15 A, and at 70 °C it still carries 15 A — so in a tightly packed enclosure with elevated internal temps, you don't lose much headroom. Maximum power loss is 10.6 W, which factors into the enclosure thermal budget when stacking multiple breakers side by side.
Wiring and integration notes
The breaker ships with a basic switch (order code 3VA11964EF360AA0) and accepts up to four HQ auxiliary switches for status feedback or remote trip indication. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, no communication module on this variant — it's a straight line-protection MCCB with thermal-magnetic trip. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so it's comfortable in 480 V and 600 V class panels with margin to spare.