What it is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2163-7MS32-0KC0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) rated for 63 A continuous current across the full ambient temperature range from 40 °C to 70 °C — no derating needed up to that ceiling. It's designed specifically for starter protection, meaning it's built to coordinate with motor contactors and overload relays in a motor branch circuit, not just as a feeder breaker.
Interrupting capacity — the real number that matters
At 240 V this MCCB can interrupt 330 kA of fault current. That drops to 242 kA at 415 V and 440 V, then to 187 kA at 500 V. At 690 V it still holds 3.7 kA. Those are the numbers that tell you whether this breaker clears a bolted fault without welding its contacts or venting arc gas into the panel. For a motor starter application, the 242 kA at 415 V is the figure to check against your transformer and upstream protection — if your available fault current is under that, this breaker has the headroom.
Panel fit and integration
Dimensions are 105 mm wide, 181 mm tall, 86 mm deep. That 105 mm width is three pole spaces on a standard DIN rail or panel-mount footprint — verify your enclosure's backplate layout against it. The 86 mm depth means it clears most shallow enclosures, but check the handle throw arc if you're fitting a door interlock.
Auxiliaries and release options
This variant ships with a shunt trip release (STL) for remote tripping and two auxiliary switches (HQ type) for status feedback to a PLC or indication lamp. No undervoltage release, no ground-fault monitoring, no communication module — it's a straightforward motor-protection breaker with remote trip capability. The basic switch is order code 3VA2163-7MS32-0AA0 if you ever need to swap the switching mechanism as a subassembly.