Siemens 3VA2163-7MS36-0BA0 — SENTRON MCCB for motor and starter protection
The Siemens 3VA2163-7MS36-0BA0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) in a starter protection version, rated for a continuous current Iu of 63 A and carrying a breaking capacity of 330 kA at 240 V. That 330 kA figure at 240 V means it can safely interrupt a fault current up to that level without cascading damage upstream — critical for high-fault installations like large motor control centers or transformer secondaries. The 63 A rating holds flat from 40 °C through 50 °C, then derates gradually to 56.7 A at 70 °C, so in a warm panel you still have headroom for a 60 A continuous load. This is a 3-pole unit with an electronic trip unit (ETU310M) and an integrated undervoltage release (UVR) — the UVR is factory-fitted as part of the order code, so no separate coil to mount and wire. The trip indicator is not present on this variant, and there is no auxiliary contact block included; if you need remote status feedback, you would add an external auxiliary switch (the basic switch supplied is 3VA2163-7MS36-0AA0, and the integrated auxiliary trip is 3VA9608-0BB11).
Breaking capacity across voltage — what the ratings mean for your system
The 3VA2163-7MS36-0BA0 delivers 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. These are the maximum prospective fault currents the breaker can interrupt at each voltage level. For a 480 V panel (common in North America), the 242 kA at 440 V is the closest published figure — well above typical available fault currents in most industrial distribution boards. At 690 V the 52.5 kA rating still covers most motor-drive line-side applications.
Panel integration — dimensions and mounting
The 3VA2163-7MS36-0BA0 measures 105 mm wide, 181 mm high, and 86 mm deep. It mounts on a DIN rail or can be screw-fixed to a backplate. The 105 mm width is a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for this current class, so it fits existing cutouts and busbar spacing in most SENTRON and third-party distribution panels without rework.