Optimizing the control panel design and the construction process

The current technological advancements are intended to revolutionize the conventional control panel wiring. These developments are transforming the way the panels are constructed, designed, commissioned and maintained.
The contemporary wiring methods of the control panels are designed in such a way that they can reduce the costs of manufacturing and ownership. The increasing global pressure and the minimized marketing time are continuously challenging the manufacturers to adapt slender concepts and indulge in using the latest technological innovations for maximizing their competitive effectiveness. The standard keeps on rising every year on the basis of competitiveness.
As the productivity is one of the top most priorities for these manufacturing companies. So almost all control panel manufacturers and designers take up the latest technologies, innovations, and more effective manufacturing practices to drive higher levels of productivity.
Herein below, we would discuss about the most notable issues that the control panel makers experience:
Improving productivity- Increasing productivity is the greatest concern for all the panel builders. The first and foremost stage for boosting productivity or control-panel building operations is to understand how the costs are allocated to engineering, design, material, assembly, documentation, quality control testing, and commissioning.
Even it is also required to understand the costs for on-site installation and contracting for system integration or turnkey operations.
Hardwired system challenges- Though there is the huge upsurge for software operated control panels in the present days, but the hardwired panels still continue to contribute and serve the automation/control industry in a large way.
But practically there are certain challenges that these panels face because of the requirement of intensive labors for their operation. The major tasks that are involved with these panels that demands huge operator strength are like stripping the insulation, adding wire identification markers, cutting individual control wires to the proper lengths, adding ferrules at the ends of wires and much more.
Searching for the cost-reduction opportunities- It is a fact that even after the best component price is negotiated and the least footprint and enclosure size is established, there still remains the opportunity for cost reduction by reducing control-panel engineering, testing, and assembly time. But the material cost remains relatively constant.
rnThe cost-reduction opportunities are limited by conventional hardwired control panel in Kentucky.
rnPossibly the creation of a standardized layout or the replacement of the hardwired push-buttons with a touch screen on a control network can actually diminish the engineering time. Sometimes using spring-cage terminals in place of the standard screw terminations can lessen the wiring time.
Refining the connection method of the control panel- In order to affect productivity, reducing the number of point-to-point wires in a control cabinet can be helpful.
Less wiring would translate into less assemblage time. So there would be fewer chances of making mistakes and less time would be required to check and test the wiring connections. You won’t require any time to create a wiring schedule and thus there will be more available control cabinet space.