Does quality really matter for custom industrial control panels? They’re just control panels. It’s a good practice to buy the ones with the lowest price, right? In short, no. Industrial control panels are often treated as an afterthought on automation projects; however, they play a …
Do you know the purpose of the UL 508A standard for industrial control panels and the key topics it covers? This post explains the intent of UL 508A and summarizes the major sections of the standard. Additional topics covered in this post include: The UL …
Regarding industrial automation projects, control panels play a vital role in ensuring the overall success of your system. Industrial control panels act as nerve centers that control and monitor machinery, equipment, and processes. Planning for and specifying control panels early in your project can provide …
In response to questions like, “Is UL certification required for my industrial control panels (ICP)?” and “How important is it for my panels to be UL 508A compliant?” we offer eight compelling reasons to obtain UL 508A certification for your panels. Read on to discover …
Many articles list what to look for in a quality industrial control panel, but few mention how that quality is ensured for every control panel when manufacturing 1,000 identical panels. Ensuring quality in orders of ten to twenty panels is vastly different from orders of …
As an industrial control panel manufacturer certified to apply the UL Listing Mark, Cates Control Systems applies the UL 508A standard to every electrical control panel we design and build. With over 40 years of experience in panel fabrication, we have seen a lot of …
When purchasing automation control panels for industrial applications, companies often get quotes from several manufacturers and choose the lowest-cost option. While some manufacturers are large enough to maintain quality while offering a low price, others reduce their costs by cutting corners in panel design, manufacturing, …
When evaluating control panel fabricators as possible manufacturing partners for industrial control panels, it is important to note that a fabricator can fall into one of two distinct categories: 1) Contract manufacturer or 2) Panel shop. There are key differences between the two categories related …
Why Use Mechanical Torque Limiters in a Servo Drive System? Electronic current limiting is not a 100% effective way to prevent overloads in a mechanical system. On a servo drive system it is relatively easy to set torque limits in the parameter programming of the …
Variable Frequency Drives are becoming more and more popular in both heavy industry and in commercial applications as they provide both process improvements and potential for energy savings. This statement is particularly true where the load is of a variable nature such as a fan …
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