Breaking capacity and what it means for your panel
The Siemens 3VM1196-3EE36-0AA2 is a SENTRON molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) in the IEC frame 160, rated for 16 A continuous current with a TM220 thermal-magnetic release. Its breaking capacity class N delivers 76 kA at 240 V AC and 53 kA at 415 V AC — the 415 V figure is the one that governs most industrial distribution panels in 400 V class installations, telling you it can interrupt a bolted fault up to that level without the arc re-striking or the case rupturing. At 440 V the rating drops to 32 kA, and at 500 V to 11.9 kA; the derating curve is steep above 415 V, so if your system runs at 480/500 V you need to check that the available fault current stays under 11.9 kA.
Thermal-magnetic release and protection curve
The TM220 release is a thermal-magnetic design with LI (long-time and instantaneous) protective functions. Overload protection Ir is adjustable from 11 A to 16 A; short-circuit protection Ii is fixed at 20 × In (320 A). The thermal element holds rated current up to 55 °C ambient without derating — at 60 °C it drops to 15 A, and at 70 °C still holds 15 A. That thermal stability across 40–55 °C means you can mount it in a warm panel without recalculating the cable sizing, which is a practical advantage over breakers that start derating at 40 °C.
Physical integration and connections
Three-pole, front-connected via box terminals for the main current circuit. No auxiliary contacts (0 CO contacts), no motor drive option, no neutral conductor upgrade path. Protection class IP40 on the front — suitable for enclosed panel mounting where the front face is behind a door. The frame size accepts up to 160 A maximum rated current, so this 16 A unit is well within the frame's mechanical and thermal limits, leaving headroom for future upsizing within the same mounting footprint.