What this MCCB is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1196-5EF36-0BH0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated 16 A continuous at 40 °C, designed for line protection in distribution panels. Its interrupting capacity hits 187 kA at 240 V AC — that's the fault current it can safely clear without welding contacts or rupturing the case, which matters when you're coordinating downstream breakers on a high-capacity transformer secondary.
Ratings that decide the fit
Rated current holds at 16 A from 40 °C up to 55 °C, then derates to 15 A at 60 °C through 70 °C — so in a warm panel you lose 1 A, not a full trip curve shift. Interrupting rating drops as voltage rises: 121 kA at 415 V, 75.6 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 500 V and 690 V. That 17 kA floor at 690 V is the number to check if your system runs at 480/277 V or 600 V class; the 187 kA at 240 V is for the low-voltage side of a step-down transformer. Rated insulation voltage is 800 V, so the breaker's internal clearances and creepage are sized for 600 V class systems with margin. Power loss at rated load is 13.1 W — negligible for panel heat budget but worth noting if you're packing ten of these in a small enclosure.
Built-in auxiliaries and releases
This variant ships with an undervoltage release (UVR) factory-installed — it trips the breaker when control voltage drops below a threshold, which is standard for emergency-stop circuits or undervoltage protection on motor feeders. The auxiliary switch block carries 2 auxiliary switches plus 1 trip alarm switch (HQ configuration), so you get position feedback and a separate alarm contact for remote indication without adding a module.
Panel fit and environment
Dimensions: 130 mm high, 76.2 mm wide (3 inches), 70 mm deep. That 3-inch width per pole is standard for SENTRON 3VA MCCBs — it fits the same DIN-rail or panel-mount footprint as the rest of the 3VA family. Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C, storage from -40 °C to 80 °C, so it handles unheated warehouses and outdoor enclosures in temperate climates.