Featured Articles

Electronics enclosures are used in countless test/analytics/measurement devices for many applications. This includes various instrument systems in Oil & Gas, Industrial & Power Control, Medical, Lab/Test, and Military designs. Serving all of these types of devices requires a wealth of cooling options for instrument cases.

Read more: Modular Electronics Enclosures for...

The main objective of electrical facilities is to supply reliable power. To guarantee the power supply and the efficient and continuous management of the operations, a highly resistant and secure electrical installation is required. Electrical equipment is potentially hazardous and, in the unfortunate case of failure or anomaly, the consequences can be fatal for both people and properties. This is why it is important to adopt a holistic approach in which personnel, devices, and monitoring systems are integrated.

Read more: Safety in Electrical Installations

Those of you in the food industry are already familiar with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)—a law that focuses on preventing contamination, rather than reacting to the problem after the fact. A big part of FSMA compliance has to do with the design of plant equipment, which includes the electrical components that provide power to manufacturing lines.

Read more: Mennekes - Hygienic Electrical Designs...

I think many of us right now are caught at a point where we are either looking back at where we were, or forward in hopes of better to quench the worry and uncertainty of the times. And although we have heard it often, we will come through this, and it is those who are focused forward that we all need to follow.

To put things in perspective and consider how the current situation has affected those working in automation and control markets, Panel Builder US conducted a nation-wide survey to gain insight into how this is affecting your industry.

Read more: Panel Building Market Survey Report

The DC module “Direct current” is an additional module of elec calc. It allows the design and sizing of low voltage electrical installations in direct current, up to a voltage of 1500 VDC. Completely integrated into the elec calc software, it maintains all of its functionality and ergonomics and allows the creation of installations mixing DC and AC parts.

Read more: elec calc DC, the Module for Direct Current

When selecting a motor, it is important to consider the required duty cycle to ensure the motor can meet the needs of the application.  This blog post and the accompanying light board video will provide a basic introduction to motor duty cycles and a few of the most common types of duty cycles.

Read more: 4 Types of Motor Duty Cycles Every Engineer...

Definition of panel mount 

Panel mount is a mechanical feature or features built into the design of a connector half. It allows the connector to be secured to an equipment panel, external case or enclosure. Often (but not always), connectors fitted with panel mount features will be cable connectors.

What are the advantages of panel mount?

• By having the connector attached to the panel, there is no external strain on the electrical connections on the back of the connector. This will lower the risk of failure and improve the life of your device
• You can safely allow untrained users to connect and disconnect cables – think of the connections in the back of your PC, these are all panel mount
• It’s also possible to design whole modules as replaceable items in smaller enclosures, and keep the devices inside each box safe from tampering.

Read more: What is Panel Mount?

If your plant is unexpectedly shut down due to the current crisis, you can use this pause in production as an opportunity to review and improve safety procedures. Why should you make maintaining your electrical infrastructure a priority?

Read more: Three Ways to Improve Electrical Safety During a...

EPLAN has been at the forefront of engineering design technology for many years and much of our sustained success is a result of listening to our customers, to gain an understanding of their needs and pain points. As part of this process, the EPLAN Customer Advisory Board has identified a number of specific issues that panel builders face in their day-to-day work.

Read more: Panel Builders - This One's for You!

It’s that moment you dread: You’re doing controls testing on a new machine as a customer’s start-up date approaches, when you discover a problem. The issue could be almost anything. It could be a functionality problem, like an unexpected stoppage or a missing sensor. Or it could be a last-minute customer concern, like the HMI’s sequence or layout.

Read more: Avoid Costly, Last-Minute Surprises With Virtual...