What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2116-5HN36-0KC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, carrying 160 A continuous current (Iu) across a 40–50 °C ambient window before derating begins at 55 °C. The ETU350 electronic trip unit handles the overcurrent release curve; a separate shunt trip (STL) provides remote tripping capability via the auxiliary release circuit. Two HQ auxiliary switches are integrated for status feedback to the PLC or panel indication. Breaking capacity runs 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415/440 V, 79 kA at 500 V, and 4.25 kA at 690 V — figures that place it in the high-interrupting range for industrial distribution panels feeding motor control centers or transformer secondaries.
Panel fit and mounting
Footprint is 105 mm wide × 181 mm tall × 86 mm deep. The width is the critical dimension for multi-pole grouping in a distribution panel — three of these side-by-side eat 315 mm of DIN-rail or mounting-plate width. Depth of 86 mm leaves clearance for rear-connected busbars or cable ladders behind the panel door. Rated insulation voltage Ui is 800 V, so the breaker is suitable for 690 V line-to-line systems common in heavy industrial installations. Maximum power loss at rated current is 25.5 W — factor that into enclosure thermal rise calculations if the panel is tightly packed.
Lifecycle and sourcing reality
The basic switch (the breaker without accessories) is order code 3VA2116-5HN36-0AA0; the integrated auxiliary trip module is 3VA9688-0BL33. Both are current-production accessories that share the same lifecycle status.
Trip unit and release configuration
The ETU350 is an electronic trip unit — it provides adjustable long-time, short-time, instantaneous, and ground-fault protection curves. No undervoltage release is fitted on this variant; the only auxiliary release is the shunt trip (STL), which fires on a separate voltage trigger signal. No communication module, phase-failure detection, or ground-fault monitoring is included — this is a straight line-protection breaker with remote trip capability. Ambient operating range is -25 °C to +70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to +80 °C. The breaker does not include a mechanical trip indicator — status is read from the auxiliary switches or the handle position.