What this MCCB delivers
The Siemens SENTRON 3VA2216-8KP32-0AA0 is a 3-pole molded case circuit breaker rated for 160 A continuous current across the full ambient range from 40 °C to 70 °C — no derating needed up to that ceiling. Its ETU850 electronic trip unit gives you adjustable overload and short-circuit protection with communication capability, so it integrates into a monitored distribution system rather than sitting as a dumb thermal-magnetic device. Interrupting capacity hits 440 kA at 240 V AC and still delivers 330 kA at 415 V and 440 V, dropping to 220 kA at 500 V and 52.5 kA at 690 V. That kind of headroom means it handles high-fault utility feeds without cascading upstream — useful for main or tie breakers in industrial switchboards where SCCR coordination matters.
Integration and panel fit
Dimensions are 105 mm wide, 181 mm tall, 86 mm deep — standard 3-pole MCCB footprint for a 160 A frame. Front-side IP40 protection means it's fine in a clean indoor panel; keep the enclosure sealed if the cabinet sees dust or dripping water. The ETU850 includes a communication function (PROFIBUS or PROFINET via a separate communication module), so you can pull trip data, load profiles, and event logs into a PLC or SCADA without extra CTs.
What the ratings mean for your selection
The 160 A continuous rating is flat from 40 °C to 70 °C ambient — unusual for a molded case breaker, where you normally see derating curves above 40 °C. That means if your panel runs hot (say, 55 °C next to a drive), this breaker still carries its full 160 A without bumping frame size. Insulation voltage is rated 800 V, so it's suitable for 690 V line-to-line systems common in heavy industrial and mining installations. Power loss is 19.7 W maximum at rated current — useful for thermal budgeting inside a sealed enclosure. The ETU850 release supports ground-fault monitoring as an option (this variant ships without it), but the communication function is built in, so you can retrofit a comms module later without swapping the breaker.