MCCBs (Moulded Case Circuit Breakers) are an electrically operated switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overcurrent, typically resulting from an overload or short circuit.
How do they work?
The basic function of an MCCB is to interrupt current flow after a fault, once the fault is corrected the circuit breaker can be reset (either manually or automatically) to resume normal operation.
MCB or MCCB
Although MCBs and MCCBs both are circuit breakers, there are key differences between the two that make them suitable for specific jobs. The main difference between the two is the capacity, MCBs are rated under 100 amps with an interrupting rating of under 18,000 amps. Consequently, the trip characteristics may not be adjusted since they cater to low circuits. On the other hand, an MCCB comes with an adjustable trip characteristic for the higher loads. An MCCB would typically provide amps as high as 2500 or as low as 10, depending on the application. The interrupting rating of MCCBs range from around 10,000 amps to 200,000 amps.