Industrial Control Panels

Industrial Control Panel Basics

An industrial control panel is, by definition, an assembly of two or more power circuit components, control circuit components, or any combination of the two, and operate at no more than 600V, according to the NEC. These components include motor controllers, switches, relays, and other auxiliary devices. Like all control panels, whether custom-built or otherwise, industrial control panels arrive pre-assembled and ready to install.

Industrial control panels can be used in equipment automation for heaters, motors, pump loads, or a combination of any of these. They can also be used for more heavy-duty equipment like cranes, elevators, manufacturing equipment, refrigeration units, and other large industrial machinery.

Choosing Your Industrial Control Panel

Like most control panels, you can choose from a wide variety industrial control panel designs to meet your specs and requirements; however, they can be divided into two types, open-type or enclosed. Open-types must be put into an enclosure before use, while enclosed industrial control panels can be rated for either indoor or outdoor use, and can also be approved for service in hazardous areas. No matter what type of control panel you choose, it’s important to know that you may need to incorporate some type of cooling system or AC unit, as control panels tend to generate quite a bit of heat.