What this 160 A MCCB is built for
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA1216-4EF32-0JA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated 160 A continuous at 40 °C, with a TM240 thermal-magnetic release and an integral shunt trip (STL) for remote tripping. The interrupting ratings climb to 121 kA at 240 V and still hold 75.6 kA at 415 V, which gives you headroom for high-fault panels in mining or heavy industrial switchboards where the available fault current is no joke.
Interrupting capacity and thermal derating — the real numbers
This breaker carries a full SCCR curve across common voltage levels: 121 kA at 240 V, 75.6 kA at 415 V, 52.5 kA at 440 V, 17 kA at 500 V, and 11.9 kA at 690 V. That's not a single 'max' number — the rating drops as voltage climbs, so you size the breaker for the actual line voltage, not the catalog headline. On the thermal side, the 160 A rating holds flat from 40 °C through 50 °C, then derates to 156 A at 55 °C, 151 A at 60 °C, 147 A at 65 °C, and 142 A at 70 °C.
Key functional details
Ground-fault monitoring is not included, so if you need GF protection, you'd add an external module or specify a different 3VA variant. Communication function is absent — this is a standalone breaker, not a metering or networked unit.