MCB’s are subject to international and national standards.
The design and test requirements are defined in the standard IEC 60898.
For the various applications three trip characteristics B, C and D are defined in IEC 60898
The tripping characteristics B, C and D under IEC 60898 are distinguished by the trip level of the short-circuit trigger
- Trip characteristic B is the standard characteristic for wall outlet circuits in domestic and utility buildings (I> ≥3 … 5*Ie)
- Trip characteristic C is advantageous when using electrical equipment with higher inrush currents as for example of lamps and motors (I> ≥5 … 10*Ie)
- Trip characteristic D is adapted to electrical equipment that can produce strong current surges such as transformers, electromagnetic valves or capacitors (I> ≥10 … 20*Ie)