SENTRON 3VA1196-5ED42-0AA0 — 4-Pole MCCB for Line Protection
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1196-5ED42-0AA0 is a 4-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection, carrying a 16 A continuous rating across the 40 °C to 55 °C band and derating to 15 A at 60–70 °C. The TM210 thermal-magnetic release handles overloads and short-circuits; the magnetic trip is fixed, so coordination studies should verify selectivity with downstream devices. Breaking capacity is the headline number here: 187 kA at 240 V AC, 121 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 500 V and 690 V. That 187 kA figure at 240 V means it can interrupt faults up to that level without cascading upstream — critical for high-fault panels near large transformers or utility feeds. At 415/440 V the 121/75.6 kA ratings still cover most industrial service-entrance and distribution applications. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so the breaker is suitable for 690 V line-to-line systems with margin. Power dissipation maxes at 10.6 W — negligible for panel thermal budgeting but worth noting if you're packing multiple breakers in a sealed enclosure. The front face carries IP40 protection — fine for a dry indoor panel; no washdown rating, so keep it behind a gland plate or enclosure door in wet environments. No undervoltage release, no shunt trip, no communication module on this variant — it's a straight thermal-magnetic breaker for basic line protection.
Mounting & Integration
Dimensions: 130 mm height, 101.6 mm width (4 inches — standard MCCB footprint), 70 mm depth. The 4-pole width matches the standard 4-module MCCB form factor; it mounts via screw-clamp to a backplate or DIN-rail adapter (adapter not included). Panel cutout and busbar spacing follow the SENTRON 3VA drilling template — if you're swapping in from an older 3VF or 3VL series, verify the mounting hole pattern against the existing backplate.
Peer Comparison Note
Compared to the 3VA1110-5ED32-0AA0 (3-pole, 16 A, same TM210 release), this 4-pole variant adds the fourth pole for three-phase-plus-neutral or DC switching applications. The 3VA1112-5EE32-0AA0 carries a higher 32 A rating and an electronic ETU release — choose that when you need adjustable long-time and short-time pickup for coordination flexibility. The 3VA1110-5ED36-0AC0 adds a communication module for remote monitoring. For a basic 4-pole line-protection breaker with fixed thermal-magnetic characteristics, the 3VA1196-5ED42-0AA0 is the straightforward pick.