What this MCCB carries and where it fits
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1196-4EF36-0KC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated 16 A continuous at 40 °C, with a breaking capacity of 121 kA at 240 V AC and 75.6 kA at 415 V AC. That 121 kA figure at 240 V means it can safely interrupt a fault current up to that level without welding contacts or cascading failure upstream — critical for high-fault panels near large transformers or in industrial mains distribution. The 800 V rated insulation voltage gives headroom for 480 V or 600 V class systems. Designed for line protection, not motor protection; it's the feeder breaker, not the starter. This MCCB includes a shunt trip release (STL) for remote emergency-off or supervisory tripping, plus two HQ auxiliary switches for status feedback to a PLC or annunciator panel. The auxiliary switches are wired into the control circuit, not the power path — they signal open/closed state without carrying load current. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, no communication module. It's a straight line-protection breaker with remote trip capability.
Thermal derating and panel integration
The 16 A rating holds flat from 40 °C through 55 °C (–); at 60 °C it derates to 15 A, and stays at 15 A through 70 °C (–). That's a clean thermal curve — no surprise drop at 50 °C. The 70 mm depth and 76.2 mm width are standard for the SENTRON 3VA frame; it mounts on a DIN rail or panel-mount adapter. The 10.6 W maximum power loss is the heat you need to vent inside the enclosure — at 16 A load, that's about what a small relay bank dissipates. Operating range is -25 °C to 70 °C (–); storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C (–).