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 vital role in the system’s success.
This post explains why control panel quality is important, and highlights two key quality indicators to consider when evaluating panels.
Why Quality is Important in Custom Industrial Control Panels
Custom industrial control panels stay on job sites for fifteen to thirty years – or even longer. Quality is crucial for maximizing uptime and supporting a project’s planned lifecycle. Two key indicators of a panel’s quality are ease of maintenance and the time required to diagnose and resolve issues. But how do you design a panel with maintenance and troubleshooting in mind?
Basically, by obsessing over all the details. Making sure all panel components and wires are labelled, following best practices on panel design, and providing detailed (and correct!) Auto-CAD documentation.
Would you want to be the person tasked with troubleshooting the panel when the line is down, only to find that the drawings that came with the panel are incorrect? ???? We wouldn’t.
You may rarely open your panels, but when you do – IT MATTERS! In addition to bringing the line back up, manufacturers typically open panels when a programming or equipment change is being made, a technology audit is being performed, or preventive maintenance is scheduled.
Checklist for Consideration
When weighing cost versus value in your purchasing decision, here’s a handy checklist – consider the value of:
- Panels designed to get you back up and running quickly
- Panels working correctly “out-of-the-box”
- Receiving correct prints with the panel
- Panels that are easy to maintain
- Quality to maintain the project’s planned lifecycle
Yes, “cheap” panels can be purchased, but at what cost to your business?
Consider the cost of issues such as difficulty troubleshooting or incorrect drawings when evaluating panel cost versus value.
