What this MCCB delivers for the panel schedule
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2116-6HL36-0AA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 160 A continuous current, built around the ETU320 electronic trip unit. It's designed for line protection in distribution panels and switchboards where you need adjustable overload and short-circuit protection without communication or ground-fault monitoring onboard. Breaking capacity is the headline here: 242 kA at 240 V, 187 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 121 kA at 500 V, and 3.7 kA at 690 V. That 242 kA at 240 V means it can safely interrupt fault currents up to that level without upstream cascading — critical for high-fault installations like large transformer secondaries or industrial mains. The ETU320 trip unit provides electronic overload and short-circuit protection with adjustable settings, though the exact adjustment ranges aren't listed here. No undervoltage release, no voltage trip, no communication module — this is a straightforward line-protection breaker for hardwired distribution.
Mounting and integration into the enclosure
Dimensions: 181 mm height, 105 mm width, 86 mm depth. The 105 mm width is standard for a 3-pole SENTRON 3VA frame — it fits the same panel cutout and busbar spacing as other 3VA2 breakers. IP40 on the front means it's protected against tools and wires >1 mm, but the enclosure itself must provide the overall IP rating. Power loss at rated current is 25.5 W maximum. That's the heat you need to vent in the enclosure design — for a 160 A breaker in a closed panel, factor that into the thermal budget alongside adjacent devices. Operating temperature range -25 °C to 70 °C; storage from -40 °C to 80 °C. The continuous current rating holds at 160 A across the full 40 °C to 70 °C operating range — no derating needed up to 70 °C ambient, which simplifies panel sizing in warm environments.