What this 3VA1196-6EF32-0HC0 is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1196-6EF32-0HC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed for line protection in industrial power distribution. It carries a continuous current rating of 16 A at 40 °C, derating to 15 A at 60 °C and above — so for a panel that runs warm, plan on 15 A per pole as the usable limit. The interrupting rating is the headline number here: 220 kA at 240 V, 154 kA at 415 V, 121 kA at 440 V, and 17 kA at 500 V and 690 V. That 220 kA at 240 V means it can safely clear a fault current up to 220,000 amps without rupturing — critical for high-fault-capacity switchboards where a standard MCCB would need upstream fuses.
Panel fit and mounting
Width is 76.2 mm (3 in), depth 70 mm (2.76 in), height 130 mm (5.12 in). This variant ships with a shunt trip (STL) release and two auxiliary switches HQ. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, no communication module — it's a plain line-protection breaker with remote trip capability via the shunt coil.