What the ratings mean for fit
The 3VA2216-7MN32-0CL0 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) from Siemens, sized for motor protection duty. Its 160 A rated continuous current Iu at 40 °C is the number that governs the feeder — you size the load to that, not to a higher ambient. The ETU350M electronic overcurrent release gives you adjustable thermal and magnetic trip curves, plus phase failure detection, so it catches a lost phase before the motor cooks. The 330 kA breaking capacity at 240 V means this breaker can interrupt fault currents up to that level without welding its contacts or venting plasma into the panel — critical for high-fault installations like large MCCs or transformer secondaries. At 415 V and 440 V it still holds 242 kA, and at 690 V it drops to 52.5 kA, which still covers most motor branch circuits. The undervoltage release (UVR) is built in, so a loss of control voltage drops the breaker open — standard for safety circuits that need a controlled shutdown.
Thermal derating and panel integration
The breaker holds 160 A flat from 40 °C through 50 °C, then derates to 153.6 A at 55 °C, 150.4 A at 60 °C, 147.2 A at 65 °C, and 144 A at 70 °C. If the panel ambient runs above 50 °C — common in a cement plant control room or a hot MCC — you need to account for that drop. The dimensions are 86 mm deep, 105 mm wide, 181 mm tall, which fits the standard SENTRON 3VA mounting footprint. The auxiliary contact configuration is 2 auxiliary switches + 1 trip alarm switch + 1 electrical alarm switch HQ, giving you status feedback for PLC or SCADA without extra interposing relays. Maximum power loss is 75 W, so factor that into the enclosure thermal budget.