A: Many applications need control panels to enable operator or automatic control of electric thermal systems and other powered components. Until recently, if you needed a control panel, youd have to specify a custom panel that would be designed from the ground up to meet the exact needs of your application. Another option is to specify a standard, off-the- shelf control panel that meets the requirements common to a wide range of applications.
Q: What are the benefits of standard control panels?
A: The most obvious benefit of standard control panels is shorter delivery time. Engineers who choose a standard panel skip the long process of drawing and bill-of-materials (BOM) development and the even more time-consuming process of drawing revision and approval. These processes can account for up to 80% of the time between order and delivery for custom-designed control panels. On the other hand, standard control panels are available off the shelf without design iteration, so manufacturers can ship them right away. Watlow, for instance, can ship these standard units within 10 working days of order receipt. Manufacturers of standard control panels also benefit by avoiding the design stage: they need less design overhead. And standard designs let them take advantage of volume and include only the components they need. pricing on components like circuit breakers and circuit One trade-off of standard control panels, then, is that boards. Both kinds of savings translate to significant they cannot be so specific. In order to keep down design cost savings for standard panels over custom ones. costs and take advantage of bulk pricing on common Standard control panels can also be more flexibly components, manufacturers source components based deployed. Since they are designed to work for a on rated capability and certifications instead of brand. range of loads and with a variety of I/O formats, these Standard control panels are also less streamlined panels will still fit the bill as application requirements because they meet a range of needs. So the standard change. Inclusion of a set of commonly used I/Os in a control panel may well come with several types of I/Os standard design adds little to the overall panel cost. the engineer will never use. For instance, some typical Engineers can also easily find the documentation I/O functions for heater control panels are digital out they need to make the most of their standard control signals for Heater High Limit Status, Heater Enabled panel purchase. Panel manufacturers make BOMs, Status, Common Alarm, and Purge Loss; digital in dimensions, and comprehensive operator manuals signals for Remote Shutdown or Heater Permissive; available electronically for ease of access. analog signals for process temperature transmission and remote set points; and RJ45 Ethernet Jacks. Q: What are the trade-offs? A: The obvious advantage of custom control panels is that Q: What can I specify when ordering a standard they exactly meet engineers specifications. Engineers can control panel? even choose the brand or part number of a circuit breaker A: Although the term standard control panel might give Sponsored by Watlow A D V E R T I S E M E N T
the impression of a single panel meant
to meet all needs, there is actually a wide variety to choose from. When choosing a control panel, youll want to make sure it can handle your total heater wattage. A typical product range has panels that can handle powers up to a Watlows New megawatt and larger. Youll also have to choose a voltage120, 208, 240, or 480V in North Americaand
Control Panels are Quickly
one- or three-phase operation. You may also be able to choose a type of control module. Process
Configured for Standard
controls typically range from on/off mode to full PID control. Limit controls can usually handle a wide variety of input signals including thermocouples, RTDs, and process signals. Physical specifications will Two-Week Delivery include standards for wiring and hazardous environments. For instance, control panels in the U.S. need to meet UL 508A standards > Standard control panels quickly configured to comply with OSHA rules. to your specific application requirements and Depending on the environment where youll use the control panel, delivered within two weeks you might also have to ensure that it meets NEMA enclosure > Integrates Watlows high-quality heater, requirements. Control panels are commonly supplied with NEMA sensor, temperature controller and power Type 4 watertight enclosures, but controller products for a complete thermal enclosure ratings are available for all installation environments. solution Sizes are often standardized. A typical product offering, like Watlows, > Panels are flexible, might have around six different scalable and available enclosure sizes to choose from, although not every load capability in thousands of is available in each dimension. configurable, Q: How can I ensure Im getting pre-engineered the right control panel? A: Even though standard control solutions panels reduce the engineers design burden, there are still a number of options to wade through. Manufacturers of standard control panels, like Watlow, have already done all the design work for you. Those manufacturers websites and engineers can be resources to guide you to the right standard control panel for your application. Powered by Possibility