What this MCCB is and what it does
The Siemens 3VA2216-5MN32-0HL0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) designed specifically for motor protection, with a continuous current rating of 160 A across the full ambient temperature range from 40 °C to 70 °C — no derating needed up to that ceiling. Its interrupting capacity hits 187 kA at 240 V AC, 121 kA at 415/440 V, and 75.6 kA at 500 V — numbers that place it in the high-fault tier for industrial distribution panels feeding motor control centers. Built-in phase failure detection and a trip indicator mean the breaker tells you why it opened, which cuts troubleshooting time on a motor branch that dropped out under load.
Auxiliary and release configuration
This variant ships with a shunt trip release (STL) and a full complement of auxiliary switches: 2 auxiliary switches + 1 trip alarm switch + 1 electrical alarm switch HQ. The shunt trip lets a remote PLC or E-stop circuit open the breaker without a manual visit — useful for emergency-off chains or automated load shedding. No undervoltage release or ground-fault monitoring on this order code; if those are required, the basic switch 3VA2216-5MN32-0AA0 is the platform this variant builds on, and you'd add the appropriate module.
Panel fit and thermal budget
Dimensions are 105 mm wide × 181 mm tall × 86 mm deep — a standard 3-pole MCCB footprint that fits most DIN-rail or screw-mounted panel layouts without re-drilling. Maximum power loss is 19.7 W; in a sealed enclosure that heat needs to be factored into the ventilation or cooling plan, especially when multiple breakers are ganged. Operating temperature spans -25 °C to 70 °C, storage from -40 °C to 80 °C — the breaker can sit in an unheated warehouse or a hot switchroom without issue.