What this MCCB carries — and what it means for your panel
The Siemens 3VA1216-5MH32-0DH0 is a 3-pole SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated 160 A continuous at 40 °C, with a 187 kA interrupting capacity at 240 V — that's the short-circuit current it can safely clear without welding contacts or rupturing the case. At 415 V it still holds 121 kA, and at 690 V it drops to 4.5 kA, so the voltage you're protecting at determines the fault-current headroom. It's designed for starter protection, meaning it's built to coordinate with motor contactors and overload relays in a motor control center (MCC) or individual starter bucket. The 800 V rated insulation voltage tells you the internal clearances and creepage are sized for 690 V systems with margin.
Thermal derating — the real-world current you can pull
The 160 A rating holds flat from 40 °C up to 50 °C (–). Above that it starts to step down: 156 A at 55 °C, 151 A at 60 °C, 147 A at 65 °C, and 142 A at 70 °C (–). If this breaker lives in a sealed enclosure next to a drive or transformer, expect internal ambient to hit 55–60 °C — plan for 151–156 A continuous, not the full 160 A. The 35.5 W maximum power loss is the heat it dumps into the enclosure; factor that into your thermal budget.
Auxiliaries and releases — what's inside the package
This variant ships with an undervoltage release (UVR) — if control voltage drops, the breaker trips. That's typical for emergency-stop or safety circuits where loss of power must open the motor circuit. It also carries two auxiliary switches plus one trip alarm switch (HQ), giving you status feedback (open/closed/tripped) for the PLC or SCADA. The trip indicator provides local visual confirmation of a fault trip vs. manual open. No ground-fault monitoring and no communication module — this is a straight electromechanical breaker, no electronics to fail.
Dimensions and panel fit
Width: 105 mm (4.13 in), height: 158 mm (6.22 in), depth: 70 mm (2.76 in) (–, –). That's a compact 3-pole MCCB footprint — fits standard 160 A frame cutouts in switchgear or MCC buckets. The 70 mm depth means it won't protrude past the gland plate in most enclosures. Mounting is via the rear panel or DIN rail adapter (check the specific 3VA1 mounting kit for your enclosure).
Environmental range
Operates from -25 °C to +70 °C ambient (–). Storage range is -40 °C to +80 °C (–) — that's the handling limit, not the running limit. If this breaker sits in an unheated warehouse or a rooftop enclosure in winter, the storage cold limit is fine; just don't energize it below -25 °C without warming it first.