What this breaker carries and where it fits
The Siemens 3VA1196-4EF36-0CH0 is an IEC frame 160 molded-case circuit breaker in the 3VA1 series, rated In=16A with a TM240 thermal-magnetic trip unit. Its breaking capacity class S delivers Icu=36kA at 415V AC — enough for most distribution panels and motor branch circuits in industrial and commercial installations where the available fault current stays under that threshold.
Trip settings and auxiliary wiring
Overload protection Ir is adjustable from 11A to 16A, letting you fine-tune the thermal pickup to the actual load without swapping the breaker body. Short-circuit magnetic pickup Ii is fixed at 10 to 20 times In (160A to 320A), which is a standard range for motor-starting inrush coordination. The breaker ships with an undervoltage release (UVR) rated 120-127V AC 50/60Hz — if that control voltage drops, the breaker trips open, a common requirement for emergency-stop and safety circuits. Two auxiliary switches (HQ) and one trip alarm switch (HQ) are factory-installed, so you get status feedback and a remote trip signal without adding external relay logic.