What this MCCB delivers
The Siemens 3VA2116-5JQ32-0JC0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, 3-pole, with a continuous current rating of 160 A. The interrupting capacity hits 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 79 kA at 500 V, and 4.25 kA at 690 V — so it handles high-fault utility feeds or transformer secondaries without cascading upstream. The ETU560 electronic trip unit gives you adjustable long-time, short-time, instantaneous, and ground-fault protection curves, plus a communication function for integration into a plant monitoring system. The shunt trip (STL) auxiliary release and two HQ auxiliary switches are built in, saving panel space vs. add-on modules.
Thermal derating — the real-world current
This breaker carries its full 160 A rating up to 50 °C ambient. At 55 °C it derates to 154 A, at 60 °C to 148 A, at 65 °C to 142 A, and at 70 °C to 136 A. If your panel runs hot — say, a packed enclosure near a furnace line — size the load against the derated figure, not the nameplate 160 A. The maximum operating temperature is 70 °C; storage range spans -40 °C to 80 °C.
Panel fit and integration
Dimensions are 105 mm wide, 181 mm high, 86 mm deep — standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for a 160 A frame. The 3VA2 series mounts on a DIN rail or panel-mount adapter, with tunnel-type terminals accepting copper or aluminum conductors. The built-in shunt trip and two HQ auxiliary switches reduce external wiring and terminal-block count. Power loss is 25.5 W maximum at rated current, so factor that into enclosure thermal calculations.
Protection and communication
The ETU560 electronic trip unit provides LSI (long-time, short-time, instantaneous) protection plus ground-fault monitoring via summation current formation on the line conductor. The communication function enables remote monitoring and trip-event logging over a plant bus — useful for a bottling line or conveyor system where unplanned downtime needs immediate identification. The 20,000-cycle mechanical endurance is typical for a 160 A MCCB in distribution duty.