What this 3VA2216-5MN32-0CH0 is and what it does
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2216-5MN32-0CH0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed specifically for motor protection. It carries a full 160 A rating across the entire 40 °C to 70 °C operating range — no derating needed as the panel warms up, which simplifies panel layout and keeps the breaker from nuisance-tripping on a hot summer day. The interrupting capacity is 187 kA at 240 V, 121 kA at 415 V and 440 V, 75.6 kA at 500 V, and 4.5 kA at 690 V. That 187 kA figure at 240 V gives serious fault-current headroom for a motor branch circuit — it can clear a high-energy arc without the upstream breaker having to trip, which is what selectivity is about.
Motor protection specifics and built-in releases
This MCCB is engineered for motor protection, meaning the trip curve is shaped to handle motor inrush without nuisance tripping, yet still clear a locked-rotor or phase-loss fault. Phase failure detection is included — that's a key feature for a motor circuit: if one phase drops out, the breaker opens before the motor single-phases and cooks the winding. The breaker ships with an undervoltage release (UVR) and a complement of 2 auxiliary switches plus 1 trip alarm switch. The UVR means the breaker drops out if control voltage is lost — common in safety circuits or remote emergency-stop chains. The auxiliary and alarm contacts let a PLC or SCADA system know the breaker state without adding external relays. A trip indicator is present, so a quick glance at the panel tells you whether the breaker tripped on fault or was manually opened. The basic switch module is order code 3VA2216-5MN32-0AA0 — useful if you ever need to swap just the switch body and keep the existing release and aux block.
Panel fit and environmental limits
Dimensions are 181 mm high, 105 mm wide, and 86 mm deep. That 86 mm depth is the panel depth behind the mounting surface — check your enclosure depth if you're retrofitting into a shallow gland-plate area. Operating temperature range is -25 °C to 70 °C; storage range is -40 °C to 80 °C. Maximum power loss is 22.2 W — factor that into your enclosure thermal budget if you're packing several breakers in a small cabinet.