The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2163-5JQ32-0BH0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for line protection, carrying a continuous current of 63 A across the full ambient temperature range from 40 °C to 70 °C — no derating needed up to that ceiling. Its interrupting capacity hits 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, and still holds 75.6 kA at 500 V, dropping to 3.7 kA at 690 V. That 187 kA figure at 240 V means it can clear a bolted fault on a high-capacity transformer secondary without upstream fuses needing to coordinate — a real advantage for main-breaker applications in 240 V delta or 208Y/120 V panels where available fault current runs high. This MCCB includes an undervoltage release (UVR) as standard, plus two auxiliary switches and one trip alarm switch (HQ configuration). A communication function is built in, supporting integration with energy management or remote monitoring systems. The trip indicator confirms the breaker has opened on fault, and the adjustable thermal-magnetic trip unit has an initial setting of 16 A and a full-scale value of 63 A, giving the specifying engineer a wide range to match the downstream load without swapping the breaker frame.
Panel fit and physical integration
The 3VA2163-5JQ32-0BH0 measures 105 mm wide by 181 mm tall by 86 mm deep — a compact footprint for a 63 A frame with this interrupting capacity. It mounts on a DIN rail or directly to a backplate via the screw terminals. The 86 mm depth leaves room for cable bending radii in a standard 200 mm deep enclosure; the 105 mm width means it occupies three 35 mm module spaces on the rail. Operating temperature range spans -25 °C to 70 °C, with storage from -40 °C to 80 °C, so it handles unheated warehouses and outdoor cabinet installations without issue.
Selectivity and coordination notes
With a maximum current rating of 756 A and a minimum of 95 A for the trip unit adjustment range, this breaker can be set to protect a feeder as small as 95 A while the frame itself can pass through 756 A without damage — useful for a tap conductor where the upstream breaker is larger. The 187 kA SCCR at 240 V means it is rated for use on transformers up to roughly 2500 kVA at 208 V secondary without needing current-limiting fuses ahead of it. At 690 V the breaking capacity drops to 3.7 kA, so it is not suited for 690 V industrial mains with high fault current; that application calls for a higher-rated frame.