What this MCCB is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA2116-5KP32-0CL0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) in the 3VA2 frame, sized for 160 A continuous duty and fitted with an ETU850 electronic trip unit. It is a line-protection version — meaning the trip curve is shaped for feeder and distribution protection rather than motor starting — and carries a rated insulation voltage of 800 V, so it can be applied in 480/277 V and 600 V panelboards without voltage derating concerns. Breaking capacity is the headline number that decides whether this breaker clears a fault without upstream coordination issues: 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. At typical 480 V distribution voltages the 121 kA rating covers most high-fault installations; the 690 V figure is low enough that you would verify the available fault current before specifying it on a 600 V system.
Temperature derating — the real continuous current
The 160 A rating holds from 40 °C through 50 °C ambient. Above that it steps down: 154 A at 55 °C, 148 A at 60 °C, 142 A at 65 °C, and 136 A at 70 °C. If the breaker sits in a hot enclosure — near a transformer or in a non-ventilated panel — use the 70 °C figure for your load calculation. The maximum operating temperature is 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C.
Trip unit and auxiliary wiring
The ETU850 is an electronic trip unit with communication capability and other measurement functions — it can report current values and event data over the integrated communication interface, which matters if you are building a digital switchboard with power monitoring. The breaker also includes an undervoltage release (UVR) as the auxiliary release type, plus a full auxiliary contact set: 2 auxiliary switches, 1 trip alarm switch, and 1 electrical alarm switch (HQ version). That is enough for remote status indication on both open/closed and tripped conditions without adding a separate accessory. Mechanical endurance is rated at 20,000 operations — typical for a 160 A frame used in distribution duty where it cycles infrequently. Power loss at rated current is 28 W maximum, which matters for enclosure heat rise calculations when multiple breakers are ganged.
Physical fit and panel integration
Dimensions: 105 mm wide, 181 mm tall, 86 mm deep. The 3-pole 160 A frame fits standard MCCB mounting patterns in switchboards and panelboards; the 86 mm depth is shallow enough that it clears most enclosure back-pan depths without interference. The breaker ships with the base switch (3VA2116-5KP32-0AA0) and an integrated auxiliary trip (3VA9608-0BB24) pre-assembled — no separate ordering for those components.