What this MCCB is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA2163-5MN36-0DL0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed specifically for motor protection. It's a three-pole unit rated at 63 A continuous, and it holds that rating across the full ambient temperature range from 40 °C up to 70 °C — no derating needed for hot panel environments. That 63 A is the thermal-magnetic trip rating, so it handles the inrush of a motor start without nuisance tripping while still clearing a fault when it counts. Breaking capacity is where this part earns its keep: 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 75.6 kA at 500 V, and 3.7 kA at 690 V. Those numbers mean it can sit downstream of a large transformer or in a high-fault industrial distribution panel and still clear a bolted fault without welding its contacts shut. For a motor protection MCCB, that's serious interrupting capability — it keeps the line up when a motor winding shorts.
Built-in protection features for motor circuits
This breaker ships with an undervoltage release (UVR) and phase failure detection built in — both critical for motor protection. The UVR drops the breaker if supply voltage falls below a set threshold, so a motor doesn't try to start under a brownout and cook itself. Phase failure detection catches a lost phase on a three-phase system and trips before single-phasing damages the motor windings. It also has a trip indicator so you can see at a glance whether it opened on a fault or was manually switched. The auxiliary switch configuration is 2 auxiliary switches plus 1 trip alarm switch plus 1 electrical alarm switch (HQ type). That gives you status feedback for a PLC or remote monitoring — the trip alarm tells you the breaker opened on a fault, the electrical alarm signals the UVR state, and the aux switches mirror the main contact position. For a motor control center or a remote pump panel, that feedback saves a trip out to check the breaker handle.
Dimensions and panel fit
Physical footprint: 105 mm wide, 181 mm high, 86 mm deep. That's a standard SENTRON 3VA form factor — it mounts on a DIN rail or bolts into a panel via the rear mounting plate. The 86 mm depth means it fits in shallow enclosures where a deeper MCCB would hit the back wall. Power loss is 6.5 W maximum, so heat buildup in a sealed cabinet is manageable. Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C. That covers most industrial environments from a cold warehouse to a hot compressor room. The -25 °C lower limit means it's fine for unheated equipment sheds in most climates — no need for a heater in the panel just for the breaker.