The Siemens 3VA1196-5EF32-0BH0 is a 3-pole IEC frame 160 circuit breaker in the 3VA1 series, rated for breaking capacity class M with Icu=55kA at 415V. It carries a TM240 thermal-magnetic trip unit set at In=16A, with overload protection adjustable Ir=11A...16A and short-circuit protection Ii=10...20 x In. The breaker ships with a nut keeper kit, an undervoltage release (UVR) at 24V DC, two auxiliary switches HQ, and one trip alarm switch HQ.
What the ratings mean for fit
The 55kA Icu at 415V is the ultimate short-circuit breaking capacity — the breaker can safely interrupt a fault current up to that level once and remain functional. For a 160A frame with a 16A TM240 trip, this is a high-interrupting variant (class M) suited for installations with high available fault current, such as industrial switchboards or transformer secondaries. The adjustable Ir (11-16A) lets you fine-tune the overload threshold to match the protected conductor or load without swapping the trip unit. The Ii range of 10-20x In means the magnetic instantaneous trip can be set between 160A and 320A, giving selectivity headroom downstream.
Deployment context
Mounts on a standard DIN rail or panel-mount in an industrial enclosure. The UVR at 24V DC provides undervoltage release — if the control voltage drops, the breaker trips, which is typical for emergency-stop circuits or safety disconnects where loss of control power must open the main feeder. The two auxiliary switches HQ and the trip alarm switch HQ give status feedback to a PLC or annunciator panel.