The Siemens 3VA2163-7MS32-0AB0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) configured for starter protection — meaning it's designed to sit upstream of a motor contactor, providing short-circuit and overload protection for the motor branch circuit. This is not a general-distribution breaker; the ETU310M electronic trip unit and the 63 A rated continuous current Iu are sized for motor loads, not feeder lines. Breaking capacity is the headline here: 330 kA at 240 V, 242 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 187 kA at 500 V, and 52.5 kA at 690 V. Those numbers mean this MCCB can safely interrupt a fault current up to 330 kA at the lower voltage — critical for installations close to a large transformer or in an industrial substation where available fault current is high. The 690 V rating of 52.5 kA still covers most motor-control-center applications. Thermal derating is documented across the ambient range: the breaker holds the full 63 A from 40 °C up to 50 °C, then steps down to 60.48 A at 55 °C, 59.22 A at 60 °C, 57.96 A at 65 °C, and 56.7 A at 70 °C. If the panel ambient runs above 50 °C, the continuous current must be adjusted accordingly — the rating at 70 °C is about 10% below the nameplate.
Dimensions and mounting
The 3VA2163-7MS32-0AB0 measures 105 mm wide by 181 mm high by 86 mm deep. It's a 3-pole frame, designed for screw-mounting in a panel or enclosure — not a DIN-rail snap-on. The IP40 rating on the front means it's protected against tools and wires greater than 1 mm, but the enclosure itself must provide the overall IP rating for the installation.
Auxiliary contacts and release options
Factory-fitted with 2 auxiliary switches (HP type) — these are the status feedback contacts for the panel PLC or indication lamps. No undervoltage release, no shunt trip, no ground-fault monitoring, and no communication module are included on this variant; those would be separate order-code suffixes. The ETU310M electronic trip unit handles the overcurrent protection curves. Maximum power dissipation is 75 W at rated current — account for that heat in the enclosure thermal calculation, especially if the breaker is in a sealed panel with other heat sources.