What it is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA2116-5HN36-0AA0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for 160 A continuous current across the full ambient temperature range from 40 °C to 70 °C — no derating needed up to that ceiling. It's a 3-pole unit designed for line protection, meaning it sits at the feeder or main distribution point in a panel, not downstream on a motor branch. The ETU350 electronic trip unit gives you adjustable overload and short-circuit protection curves, which is what you want when coordinating with downstream breakers or fuses.
Breaking capacity — what the numbers mean for your fault level
This MCCB carries a 187 kA interrupting rating at 240 V, dropping to 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, then 75.6 kA at 500 V. At 690 V it's still rated 3.7 kA. Those are the fault currents it can safely clear without welding contacts or venting plasma — critical when you're sizing for a transformer-fed main with high available fault current. The 121 kA at 415 V covers most European industrial distribution panels; the 75.6 kA at 500 V handles North American 480 V systems with stiff utility feeds.
Physical fit and panel integration
Dimensions are 105 mm wide, 181 mm high, 86 mm deep. That's a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint — it bolts onto a mounting plate or DIN rail adapter in the distribution section of the enclosure. IP40 on the front means the breaker face is protected against tools and solid objects over 1 mm, but the enclosure itself needs to handle the rest of the IP rating. No undervoltage release, no shunt trip, no communication module on this variant — it's a straight line-protection breaker with the ETU350 doing the brains.