November 4, 2025 • 24 mins
Factories don’t run on magic. They run on control panels that turn raw sensor data into precise, safe action—and we’re kicking off a three‑part series to show exactly how. We break down the essentials in plain language so you can open a panel door and actually know what you’re seeing, from the disconnect and power supplies to the PLC logic and the HMI screens operators trust.
We start with the PLC, the rugged brain that reads inputs, executes logic, and drives outputs with millisecond timing. You’ll learn why modern controllers are networked, how modular I/O scales with your process, and what clean wiring and accurate channel maps do for uptime. Then we shift to the HMI, the operator window into the process. A well‑built screen mirrors the machine, makes status obvious, and keeps routine actions outside the enclosure for safer work. Clear colors, readable values, trends, and alarms turn data into smart, fast decisions.
Power is the quiet foundation. We walk through the pathway: visible disconnects, fuses and breakers sized for protection, control transformers that step down voltage, and 24 VDC power supplies that feed sensors, relays, and PLC cards. Grounding, spacing, and heat management guard both people and electronics. Along the way, we share practical tips to read a panel like a map: trace power first, find the PLC and I/O, compare HMI values to the machine, and rely on current drawings stored on the door. These habits, backed by UL 508A and NFPA 79 principles, create safer, more reliable systems that technicians can troubleshoot under pressure.
With nearly a century of experience supporting automation across industries, we believe craftsmanship and documentation are force multipliers. If you’re new to automation, mentoring someone who is, or just want a refresher, this guide will raise your confidence on the plant floor. Subscribe for the next parts of the series, share this with a colleague who needs it, and leave a quick review to help more pros find the show.
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SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Eco Ask Why, a podcast that dives into
industrial manufacturing topicsand spotlights the heroes that
keep America running.
I'm your host, Chris Granger,and on this podcast, we do not
cover the latest features andbenefits on products that come
to market.
Instead, we focus on advice andinsight from the top minds of
(00:20):
industry because people andideas will be how America
remains number one inmanufacturing in the world.
Welcome to Eco SY.
I'm your host, Chris Granger.
I'm looking forward to spendingsome time with you today.
Pretty exciting.
We've been on Eco SY.
We've been talking about for awhile lots of different things
(00:43):
with digital twins and AI, butwe're starting a new part of our
series, and this is going to beour first episode where we're
going to be digging intoindustrial control panels.
This is going to be exciting,something near and dear to
Electrical Equipment Company, towhat we love, how we try to
support.
So hopefully you're going toenjoy this.
And we're going to call thisjust industrial control panels
one-on-one.
(01:04):
Pretty simple, okay?
We're going to really try tounderstand the heart of
automation and help you, ifyou're new to the industrial
manufacturing or the electricalindustry, kind of maybe break
down some terms and somevocabulary that you need to know
to better understand what you'relooking at in the field.
And also hopefully build yourconfidence as you move and
(01:24):
navigate within thesemanufacturing plants.
So next year, so this is comingout in November of 2024, 2025,
sorry, but next year is our100th year anniversary at
electrical equipment company.
So that's a century.
100 years, we've been supportingthe advancement of automation
across so many industries fromtextiles to wastewater treatment
(01:47):
plants to high-speedmanufacturing, pulp and paper,
chemical, pharmaceutical.
It's crazy when I start thinkingabout it.
And this is when you startthinking about a legacy of a
hundred years, it tells us onething.
We've seen firsthand howindustrial control panels serve
as the heartbeat of modernautomation.
And it's really neat.
(02:08):
I'm super excited to just be apart of it, just a small part of
it.
But hopefully you're going toenjoy this because an industrial
control panel, they're thecentral nervous system of
operations and industrialmanufacturing.
They bring the power, they bringthe control, they bring the
intelligence all together andthey translate physical inputs
like temperature readings ormotor speeds into meaningful
(02:30):
outputs like pump actuation orconveyor movement.
So, look, if you want tounderstand how today's
facilities operate withprecision, with reliability,
with safety, all the things thatwe care about, right?
You need to start byunderstanding the industrial
control panel.
That's what it's about.
Okay, so we're going to kind ofjust break down some components
as we go.
Again, this is going to be athree-part series.
(02:51):
So over the next two months, uh,we're going to be giving you
more and more information here.
Check out all the links, all theconnections, all the ways to
connect with us because we havethe experts on staff ready to
come serve and to help you withyour industrial control panel
needs.
So let's just talk about thebeginning, the brains of the
operation, if you will.
Okay.
So that's your PLCs.
You made uh programmable logiccontrollers, is what they're
(03:14):
that actually stands for.
But when you open a controlpanel, your eyes most likely are
going to be drawn to arectangular device with lots of
wires coming in into it.
There's gonna be lots of littlelights flickering on and off.
And this is your PLC, yourprogrammable logic controller.
Okay, so it's the brains behindthe system.
(03:35):
So it's basically you can thinkof it as like a rug, like a
rugged industrial computer builtto withstand vibration, heat,
noise, all the stuff that theindustrial manufacturing
environment's gonna put in itput in front of it.
So the PLC runs on a cycle.
And what basically how it works,it reads the inputs.
So you got sensors and switchesand instruments that are
(03:57):
providing input data to it.
Then it executes logic, youknow, so you have to program
this.
So this is a big part of whatelectrical engineering teaches
you, and and and uh technicianscan do this as well, so far as
understanding the logic thatworks to understand the inputs,
and then the logic controls theoutputs.
So this could be motors orsolenoids or valves or whatever
(04:19):
it may be.
So that's what's going on here.
So you have these input signalscoming in, logic that's being
worked through and executed, andthen the outputs that are being
uh sent to control with theequipment that we're trying to
control.
So, in essence, you can think ofa PLC as like uh decision maker.
That's it.
So if a sensor is giving asignal that a tank is almost
(04:43):
full, the PLC's logic may stop apump or close a valve or open a
valve, right?
Just to control that.
Or if you have a temperaturerising too high, uh that sensor
within the logic may trigger acooling fan or send an alarm
through a through a humanmachine interface, an HMI.
(05:03):
We're gonna talk about those aswell as we dig into this.
But that's how it works.
So modern PLCs today, they usedto be just standalone systems,
and they're still have some ofthose where you have a
standalone on a piece ofequipment.
But most PLCs now are networked.
So this brings you a wholenother level of communication
between systems.
(05:23):
This gives you the ability to doremote diagnostics and you can
integrate it with you know yourplant SCADA systems.
So the PLC has not just astandalone anymore.
So whether you're standing infront of that a piece of
equipment or like a multi-basedMCC, you or even at home now
through remote monitoring, it'spretty you can bet pretty sure
(05:46):
that a PLC is doing a lot ofthat control.
Okay, so that's that's a big bigpiece of the components that we
want to make sure youunderstand.
Again, with a PLC, you also haveyour different modules, your
input modules, your outputmodules, your your your
different types of temperatureuh reading reading modules.
All you have your communicationmodules.
So there's so many ways that youcan build onto the PLC now.
(06:07):
And again, we support severalmanufacturers out there.
So if you want to find out whatmanufacturer we serve in your
area, just reach out to us.
We'd love to have a conversationwith you.
We have experts across all ourgeography.
So if it comes down to a PLC andyou got a question, I can
guarantee you somebody at theelectrical equipment company is
gonna be able to answer it in aconfident way or at least point
(06:28):
you in the right direction.
Okay, now you got the PLC doingthat.
Then you have to think aboutwell, how do we as operators
interact with the equipment?
Well, we need a window to dothat.
And industrial control panels,that's often the HMI or the
human-machine interface.
We love our acronyms, right?
(06:48):
That's the way it works.
So the PLC handles the logicthat HMI is the operator window
into the process.
So if you walk up to a panel,typically you're gonna see some
type of touch screen with gaugesor buttons or actual process
graphics.
That's the HMI.
That's what you're looking at.
It's giving you feedback, itgives the technicians and the
(07:11):
operators real-time visibilityinto what's happening.
Okay, so it gives you machinestatus, may show you different
types of alarms.
Uh, it could show you some biglike uh key performance
indicators like pressures orflows or speeds, but a good HMI,
what I like the most about them,they mirror the process.
(07:32):
So you can walk up and you canvisually connect with what
you're seeing on the screen towhat's happening on the machine
itself.
I mean, that's that's the reallythe beauty of it, too.
You don't have to think about,well, okay, I wonder what this
is here.
No, you can see it on the HMIand then look and see that
equipment working.
And with an HMI, you also havethe ability sometimes for
(07:53):
control.
You can start or stop a process,you can reset fault, you can
adjust set points, all withoutopening the panel.
So it really gives you a safeway to do this.
So a lot of times operators relyon color-coded indicators, you
know, like green for running orred for stop or yellow for a
fault to help them make quickin-the-moment decisions.
(08:13):
So it's a perfect blend ofautomation, which is important,
but also that human oversight.
We cannot miss the human elementand how important that is in an
um efficient industrialoperation.
All right, so now, inside of anindustrial control panel, what
else are you gonna have?
Well, you're gonna have powerdistribution.
(08:35):
So this is kind of like thelifeline.
So every control panel mustsafely manage and distribute
power.
So this begins.
Easiest way to think about it.
What's the incoming source?
Need to understand that.
And then it flows through aseries of key components to help
ensure reliability andprotection.
(08:56):
Because you don't want anybodyto get hurt, because in any
industrial control panel, youcan get hurt.
So the first thing I always liketo look for if you walk up to an
industrial control panel,particularly if you're gonna be
working in it, is understandwhat a disconnect is.
Just understand that.
This is like your master safetyswitch.
So look for the disconnecthandle.
Usually it's mounted on the doorof the enclosure, okay?
(09:16):
And it's a very it's the firststep for safety because you want
to be safe.
The disconnect gives you amechanical way to cut off the
incoming power to the rest ofthe panel.
So if you're gonna be doing anymaintenance or troubleshooting,
this is important to make surethat we're de-energized, okay?
And look, a clearly labeleddisconnect isn't just a good
(09:39):
design choice, it's actuallyrequired, it's a safety
standard.
So N FPA 79, you have UL UL508A,they have these governing
standards as far as panelconstruction.
So just be careful.
Like you never want to go insideof a live industrial control
panel unless you're fullytrained and completely
understand the risk pointsinvolved.
(10:01):
So to disconnect, easy way, walkup to a panel, understand what
that disconnect is.
Okay.
All right, second piece of powerto consider are tissue
transformers, right?
You gotta you better you have tobe able to convert that voltage
into a usable form.
So industrial facilities usuallyhave higher voltages coming in
to run their equipment.
(10:21):
You know, you can have 4160, youcan have 2300, you can have it
down to 480 volts.
That's pretty common.
But control devices are notgonna be hooked up to 480
typically, usually they're gonnawork at lower voltage, like 120
volts AC or even 24 volts DC.
So, how do you do that?
Well, you have to get sometransformers, and no, we're not
(10:42):
talking about the movie.
All those movies were awesome.
No, this is a different type oftransformer.
So when you open a panel, you'llusually see a metal core
component mounted at the lowside of the back panel.
Usually transformers are towardsthe bottom.
Why?
Because they're heavy, right?
These things got some weight tothem.
So these what you'll find withthese with these devices, uh,
(11:03):
usually they're controltransformers, is what they're
called.
So what they're supposed to dois to step down the voltage
safely so that you can utilizeit internally.
And so understanding thisvoltage flow is crucial.
So you got your high voltage inand you got your low voltage
control power out.
So it's just a quick way you canopen up, you can see, okay,
(11:24):
here's my power coming in,here's it's going through the
disconnect, maybe it's goingthrough a breaker.
At what point does it get brokendown?
That's your control transformer,your transformers.
Okay.
All right.
Now, the third from a powerstandpoint that we want to talk
about are your power supplies.
Because you got to be able quiteoften to get DC conversion for
your field devices.
(11:44):
So after your transformer, yourpower supplies can convert that
AC, typically to about 120 volt.
That's usually what you're goingto see, into a DC voltage, like
a 24 volt DC, that's highlyutilized in industrial control.
And this low voltage outputpower helps your devices like
your sensors, your relays, andyour PLC input cards.
(12:06):
All right.
So when you identify a smallmetal box with a cooling vent,
maybe like an LED indicatorthat's labeled 24 volt DC
output, guess what?
You found the power supply.
Hallelujah.
So it's the unsung hero thatensure everything kind of talks
correctly without lowering therisk of shock, right?
(12:26):
So this is very important justto understand what to look for
from a power standpoint.
All right.
Now let's just kind of walkthrough one-on-one.
You walk up to a panel, how doyou quickly identify what you're
seeing?
And look, this can beintimidating.
I remember when I was first intothe industry and I would walk up
to these panels, and I would belike, I don't even know what in
the wide world of sports isgoing on here, right?
(12:49):
So it's okay.
It's good to have a healthyrespect for what's going on
inside industrial control panelsbecause they can't hurt you if
you're not careful.
So if you're new to automation,this is this is maybe helpful
for you.
But because just just know this.
Once you understand thestructure, it starts becoming to
make a lot more sense, and it'sjust like reading a map.
(13:10):
Okay, so here's a a very simplebut systematic way to approach
it.
Number one, start with power.
I want to know first out at thegate what can cause me the most
harm.
And that's the power.
So identify the incoming power,the disconnect, follow the path.
Again, it could be through acircuit breaker or through some
type of fuse block to understandwhere it goes to the transformer
(13:33):
and the power supplies, lookingfor those fuses, those breakers,
all those things that isolatethe different circuits.
Try to understand the powerflow.
Okay.
Then from there, you may want totry to locate the brains.
Like find a PLC.
Usually the PLC, quite often, isjust in the middle somewhere
because you have a lot of wiringcoming to it by the time the
wiring is coming in from thebottom.
So just look for there.
(13:54):
You can look for labeled inputsand output terminals, and then
check the communication ports aswell.
You'll see different types ofcommunications from Ethernet to
ProfiNet to Siri.
I mean, all these differenttypes of communication protocols
used for networking.
And then look for the interface.
Like, how am I going tounderstand what's going on?
Usually, this is like an HMIscreen.
(14:14):
Lots of times they're cut out inthe front door, or sometimes
they'll even be remotely mountedterminals.
Whatever the particular setupis, I've seen term HMIs that
have connected to the where theymount to the outside, so you
don't actually do a cutout,they're just bolted to the
outside.
There's lots of different waysto have that.
So once you have a chance to seethe HMI, then see what it's
(14:36):
telling you.
See what if it's showing anypressure or temperature or speed
or anything like that.
Just understand what's going oninside the on the HMI.
And then the organizationoverall, you know, just as you
start working inside differentmanufacturers and different
manufacturers of equipment aswell, you'll notice patterns.
And you'll usually see a patternlayout for efficiency.
(14:59):
So you'll see power componentsat the bottom, because they're
the heaviest and create the mostheat.
You'll see control componentstowards the middle.
You have IO terminals or fieldconnections, usually are on the
top or the side.
So all that stuff is prettystandard.
And then you'll hear some stuffcalled den rail.
So den rail is nothing but apiece of metal strip where these
components can snap to it.
So if you see like a metal stripon the back plane, that's
(15:22):
usually what you use to connectthe uh components directly
inside the control panel versuslike bolting them on directly.
And if you do that, you alsonotice usually if you open up a
panel, you'll see these things,they they're like they're
rectangle, lots of times they'regray, they're long strips, and
it's like what is going on?
It almost looks like a littlechannel or something, right?
(15:44):
What that is, is wiring duct.
Okay, and that allows you as apanel builder to keep your
cables, all your all your wiringcompletely uh neat and rounded
and labeled and out the way, orelse if you didn't have that,
you have wires everywhere.
It just it would be crazy,right?
So then the last thing, alwayscheck for safety and
(16:06):
documentation, like check yourgrounding bars, check to make
sure everything is clearlylabeled.
Reference to wiring diagrams,all right?
Usually you can often find thewiring diagram.
And if you open a control paneldoor, most often there's a
sleeve on the inside of thatdoor.
Check it out right there.
Because those blueprints can beso invaluable, particularly when
it comes to troubleshooting.
(16:26):
All right.
So this is you'll seetechnicians.
Technicians know where thesedrawings are.
I can promise you that.
But the more you practice, myencouragement to you, the
quicker you're gonna develop aninstinct for identifying the
panel anatomy.
Okay.
And over time, you'll just beable to quickly identify power
flow, spot false, or identifymissing termination.
(16:47):
It's just gonna come natural.
It's just one of those thingsthat just comes with reps, okay?
So as we think about this,again, if you want to have a
framework for reliability withinan industrial control panel, it
all comes down to organizationand maintenance.
Because a most advancedautomation system is only as
reliable as the installation anddocumentation that comes with
(17:08):
it.
So, a well-designed controlpanel, I love to see brand new
control panels because theyexhibit craftsmanship, clean
wiring, consistent labeling,very logical layout of the
components, and that is going tojust produce a very robust and
reliable industrial controlpanel.
And some key elements to thinkabout when you're thinking about
(17:30):
longevity and maintainability.
Think about your wiring duck.
We've already talked about itonce, but that wiring duck is
important.
You want to make sure everythingis organized, protected.
You also want to standardize onthe end rail.
That just makes easy formounting relays and breakers and
thermal blocks.
Take them all, take them off somuch easier.
Then you have to think aboutyour fuses and your circuit
breakers because you want tomake sure that you're protecting
(17:51):
for your overcurrentconnections, right?
So this is very important withelectronic devices.
You have your overloads, gottabe super careful about taking
care of your motors.
So the overloads are soimportant.
So your motor tripping currents,uh, if you if they're drawing
too much current, draw, you wantto be able to shut them things
down safely with not causing anyharm.
Don't want to burn up anymotors.
Overloads are important.
(18:12):
Then you have your groundingsystem.
Why is that important?
Because it protects yourequipment from uh stray voltages
and it also protects yourpeople, okay?
And then those accuratedrawings.
Really, can't emphasize thisenough.
Don't miss that part.
If you're working with a vendoror a manufacturer or whoever's
bringing in some equipment, youneed to have the drawings.
(18:33):
The drawings are going to beyour Bible that you go back to
when you're trying to understandwhat's going on or you're trying
to troubleshoot.
You want to have accuracy there.
And here's another thing toconsider as you change equipment
or repair equipment, update thedrawings so that the team will
understand what's going on ifthey have to work on it in the
(18:55):
future.
Okay.
So, ECO, we've long, longemphasized fundamentals because
they make a tangible differencein how a system lasts, the
longevity, and ultimately howquickly a tech can get that
equipment back online.
And that's what it's all about.
We want to get you back on backworking and understanding.
(19:16):
So, again, our history ofsupporting industrial automation
almost 100 years.
It's kind of crazy to thinkabout it.
And that's really meant built.
It's we've built it onpartnerships.
We work with some of the bestmanufacturers on the planet.
We work directly with engineers,OEMs, and manufacturers directly
(19:38):
to design, build, and reallymaintain reliable control
systems that control that canstand the set test of time.
And we feel like this is prettysimple.
If you want to go fast, just goby yourself.
But if you want to go far, bringother people along.
And that's the value we bring atElectrical Equipment Company
because we can go far by walkingalongside you to sharing our
(20:00):
knowledge, to sharing ourconnections with industry and
different manufacturers,solutions, and help prepare and
empower the next generation ofautomation professionals out
there.
So I'm telling you, today, thesame principles that guided EECO
in its early years, you know, sofar as being steady, being true
(20:21):
to the craft, being innovative,still drive how we design and
support manufacturing today.
And control systems are justnear and dear to our heart.
So whether you're working on alegacy MCC or troubleshooting a
network PLC system or trying tojust really get a better
understanding of your 508Acompliant panels, our commitment
(20:45):
is not changed to help keepAmerica's industry running
safer, smarter, and stronger.
That's what it's all about.
So hopefully, you know, if youstart start start thinking about
this again, the industrialcontrol panel, it's not just a
metal enclosure with wires.
No, it is core to the automationsystem.
And we need to hopefully now youmaybe have a little better
(21:08):
understanding of what to expectwhen you walk up in to look at
one.
So if you start thinking aboutlike intelligent PLCs, uh HMIs,
the infrastructure, it reallybrings it all together and
brings it to life.
So hopefully now you have alittle more confidence that
you're not just looking athardware, you're seeing decades
(21:28):
of engineering evolution andcraftsmanship.
And hey, we've been doing it for10 decades here now.
So we're pretty excited aboutthat.
And if you need help and youneed support, please reach out
to us.
There will be links in the shownotes, there'll be links in the
video.
Wherever you're finding this at,we want to be able to connect
with you.
We have labs where you can comein and test some of these
(21:51):
devices directly.
If you just have a panel thatyou need support with and you're
just not sure what's going onwith that panel, we have experts
who are willing to come out toyour site and to help come
alongside you to build yourconfidence so that when you open
up that panel, you know exactlywhat you're looking at.
Okay.
So we're here to help, we'rehere to serve in a mighty way.
(22:13):
And again, the coming up in thenext few months, we're gonna be
giving you hopefully even moreinsight and encouragement into
industrial control panels.
So if this has helped you orencouraged you in any way,
please share it with others, uh,particularly those that are
newer to the industry.
And then you can go toEcoOnline, that's eco
online.com.
(22:33):
Love to connect with you there.
That's where you can connectwith all our resources, all our
experts.
Again, we have labs across allour geography.
So if you want to actuallyschedule some time to come into
one of our labs to do a demo, tojust you know walk through some
equipment, maybe you want to uhjust sharpen your skills in some
areas, we have that umcapability as well.
And then we always work withvendors to do training.
(22:55):
So if you're interested in justbuilding up your training skill
set, go check out our trainingresources as well, because that
could be a great way to justenhance your confidence and your
ability in serving industrialmanufacturing in the future.
Okay.
So if you wouldn't mind give usa rating and review, that stuff
does help for sure.
But the big thing is just giveus check us out at
ecoonline.com.
(23:16):
Follow us on LinkedIn.
We try to put a lot of resourcesthere as well, but really we're
all about that one-on-oneconnection because again, it's
not just about going fast, it'sabout going far together.
So that's what we're all about.
All right.
Well, have a great day.
Thank you so much for hangingout and remember to keep asking
why.
Thank you for listening to EcoAsk Why.
(23:38):
This show is supported ad-freeby Electrical Equipment Company.
Eco is redefining theexpectations of an electrical
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Please subscribe and share withyour colleagues and friends.
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To learn more and to share yourinsights, visit ecosy.com.com.
Welcome to Eco Ask Why, a podcast that dives into
industrial manufacturing topicsand spotlights the heroes that
keep America running.
I'm your host, Chris Granger,and on this podcast, we do not
cover the latest features andbenefits on products that come
to market.
Instead, we focus on advice andinsight from the top minds of
(00:20):
industry because people andideas will be how America
remains number one inmanufacturing in the world.
Welcome to Eco SY.
I'm your host, Chris Granger.
I'm looking forward to spendingsome time with you today.
Pretty exciting.
We've been on Eco SY.
We've been talking about for awhile lots of different things
(00:43):
with digital twins and AI, butwe're starting a new part of our
series, and this is going to beour first episode where we're
going to be digging intoindustrial control panels.
This is going to be exciting,something near and dear to
Electrical Equipment Company, towhat we love, how we try to
support.
So hopefully you're going toenjoy this.
And we're going to call thisjust industrial control panels
one-on-one.
(01:04):
Pretty simple, okay?
We're going to really try tounderstand the heart of
automation and help you, ifyou're new to the industrial
manufacturing or the electricalindustry, kind of maybe break
down some terms and somevocabulary that you need to know
to better understand what you'relooking at in the field.
And also hopefully build yourconfidence as you move and
(01:24):
navigate within thesemanufacturing plants.
So next year, so this is comingout in November of 2024, 2025,
sorry, but next year is our100th year anniversary at
electrical equipment company.
So that's a century.
100 years, we've been supportingthe advancement of automation
across so many industries fromtextiles to wastewater treatment
(01:47):
plants to high-speedmanufacturing, pulp and paper,
chemical, pharmaceutical.
It's crazy when I start thinkingabout it.
And this is when you startthinking about a legacy of a
hundred years, it tells us onething.
We've seen firsthand howindustrial control panels serve
as the heartbeat of modernautomation.
And it's really neat.
(02:08):
I'm super excited to just be apart of it, just a small part of
it.
But hopefully you're going toenjoy this because an industrial
control panel, they're thecentral nervous system of
operations and industrialmanufacturing.
They bring the power, they bringthe control, they bring the
intelligence all together andthey translate physical inputs
like temperature readings ormotor speeds into meaningful
(02:30):
outputs like pump actuation orconveyor movement.
So, look, if you want tounderstand how today's
facilities operate withprecision, with reliability,
with safety, all the things thatwe care about, right?
You need to start byunderstanding the industrial
control panel.
That's what it's about.
Okay, so we're going to kind ofjust break down some components
as we go.
Again, this is going to be athree-part series.
(02:51):
So over the next two months, uh,we're going to be giving you
more and more information here.
Check out all the links, all theconnections, all the ways to
connect with us because we havethe experts on staff ready to
come serve and to help you withyour industrial control panel
needs.
So let's just talk about thebeginning, the brains of the
operation, if you will.
Okay.
So that's your PLCs.
You made uh programmable logiccontrollers, is what they're
(03:14):
that actually stands for.
But when you open a controlpanel, your eyes most likely are
going to be drawn to arectangular device with lots of
wires coming in into it.
There's gonna be lots of littlelights flickering on and off.
And this is your PLC, yourprogrammable logic controller.
Okay, so it's the brains behindthe system.
(03:35):
So it's basically you can thinkof it as like a rug, like a
rugged industrial computer builtto withstand vibration, heat,
noise, all the stuff that theindustrial manufacturing
environment's gonna put in itput in front of it.
So the PLC runs on a cycle.
And what basically how it works,it reads the inputs.
So you got sensors and switchesand instruments that are
(03:57):
providing input data to it.
Then it executes logic, youknow, so you have to program
this.
So this is a big part of whatelectrical engineering teaches
you, and and and uh technicianscan do this as well, so far as
understanding the logic thatworks to understand the inputs,
and then the logic controls theoutputs.
So this could be motors orsolenoids or valves or whatever
(04:19):
it may be.
So that's what's going on here.
So you have these input signalscoming in, logic that's being
worked through and executed, andthen the outputs that are being
uh sent to control with theequipment that we're trying to
control.
So, in essence, you can think ofa PLC as like uh decision maker.
That's it.
So if a sensor is giving asignal that a tank is almost
(04:43):
full, the PLC's logic may stop apump or close a valve or open a
valve, right?
Just to control that.
Or if you have a temperaturerising too high, uh that sensor
within the logic may trigger acooling fan or send an alarm
through a through a humanmachine interface, an HMI.
(05:03):
We're gonna talk about those aswell as we dig into this.
But that's how it works.
So modern PLCs today, they usedto be just standalone systems,
and they're still have some ofthose where you have a
standalone on a piece ofequipment.
But most PLCs now are networked.
So this brings you a wholenother level of communication
between systems.
(05:23):
This gives you the ability to doremote diagnostics and you can
integrate it with you know yourplant SCADA systems.
So the PLC has not just astandalone anymore.
So whether you're standing infront of that a piece of
equipment or like a multi-basedMCC, you or even at home now
through remote monitoring, it'spretty you can bet pretty sure
(05:46):
that a PLC is doing a lot ofthat control.
Okay, so that's that's a big bigpiece of the components that we
want to make sure youunderstand.
Again, with a PLC, you also haveyour different modules, your
input modules, your outputmodules, your your your
different types of temperatureuh reading reading modules.
All you have your communicationmodules.
So there's so many ways that youcan build onto the PLC now.
(06:07):
And again, we support severalmanufacturers out there.
So if you want to find out whatmanufacturer we serve in your
area, just reach out to us.
We'd love to have a conversationwith you.
We have experts across all ourgeography.
So if it comes down to a PLC andyou got a question, I can
guarantee you somebody at theelectrical equipment company is
gonna be able to answer it in aconfident way or at least point
(06:28):
you in the right direction.
Okay, now you got the PLC doingthat.
Then you have to think aboutwell, how do we as operators
interact with the equipment?
Well, we need a window to dothat.
And industrial control panels,that's often the HMI or the
human-machine interface.
We love our acronyms, right?
(06:48):
That's the way it works.
So the PLC handles the logicthat HMI is the operator window
into the process.
So if you walk up to a panel,typically you're gonna see some
type of touch screen with gaugesor buttons or actual process
graphics.
That's the HMI.
That's what you're looking at.
It's giving you feedback, itgives the technicians and the
(07:11):
operators real-time visibilityinto what's happening.
Okay, so it gives you machinestatus, may show you different
types of alarms.
Uh, it could show you some biglike uh key performance
indicators like pressures orflows or speeds, but a good HMI,
what I like the most about them,they mirror the process.
(07:32):
So you can walk up and you canvisually connect with what
you're seeing on the screen towhat's happening on the machine
itself.
I mean, that's that's the reallythe beauty of it, too.
You don't have to think about,well, okay, I wonder what this
is here.
No, you can see it on the HMIand then look and see that
equipment working.
And with an HMI, you also havethe ability sometimes for
(07:53):
control.
You can start or stop a process,you can reset fault, you can
adjust set points, all withoutopening the panel.
So it really gives you a safeway to do this.
So a lot of times operators relyon color-coded indicators, you
know, like green for running orred for stop or yellow for a
fault to help them make quickin-the-moment decisions.
(08:13):
So it's a perfect blend ofautomation, which is important,
but also that human oversight.
We cannot miss the human elementand how important that is in an
um efficient industrialoperation.
All right, so now, inside of anindustrial control panel, what
else are you gonna have?
Well, you're gonna have powerdistribution.
(08:35):
So this is kind of like thelifeline.
So every control panel mustsafely manage and distribute
power.
So this begins.
Easiest way to think about it.
What's the incoming source?
Need to understand that.
And then it flows through aseries of key components to help
ensure reliability andprotection.
(08:56):
Because you don't want anybodyto get hurt, because in any
industrial control panel, youcan get hurt.
So the first thing I always liketo look for if you walk up to an
industrial control panel,particularly if you're gonna be
working in it, is understandwhat a disconnect is.
Just understand that.
This is like your master safetyswitch.
So look for the disconnecthandle.
Usually it's mounted on the doorof the enclosure, okay?
(09:16):
And it's a very it's the firststep for safety because you want
to be safe.
The disconnect gives you amechanical way to cut off the
incoming power to the rest ofthe panel.
So if you're gonna be doing anymaintenance or troubleshooting,
this is important to make surethat we're de-energized, okay?
And look, a clearly labeleddisconnect isn't just a good
(09:39):
design choice, it's actuallyrequired, it's a safety
standard.
So N FPA 79, you have UL UL508A,they have these governing
standards as far as panelconstruction.
So just be careful.
Like you never want to go insideof a live industrial control
panel unless you're fullytrained and completely
understand the risk pointsinvolved.
(10:01):
So to disconnect, easy way, walkup to a panel, understand what
that disconnect is.
Okay.
All right, second piece of powerto consider are tissue
transformers, right?
You gotta you better you have tobe able to convert that voltage
into a usable form.
So industrial facilities usuallyhave higher voltages coming in
to run their equipment.
(10:21):
You know, you can have 4160, youcan have 2300, you can have it
down to 480 volts.
That's pretty common.
But control devices are notgonna be hooked up to 480
typically, usually they're gonnawork at lower voltage, like 120
volts AC or even 24 volts DC.
So, how do you do that?
Well, you have to get sometransformers, and no, we're not
(10:42):
talking about the movie.
All those movies were awesome.
No, this is a different type oftransformer.
So when you open a panel, you'llusually see a metal core
component mounted at the lowside of the back panel.
Usually transformers are towardsthe bottom.
Why?
Because they're heavy, right?
These things got some weight tothem.
So these what you'll find withthese with these devices, uh,
(11:03):
usually they're controltransformers, is what they're
called.
So what they're supposed to dois to step down the voltage
safely so that you can utilizeit internally.
And so understanding thisvoltage flow is crucial.
So you got your high voltage inand you got your low voltage
control power out.
So it's just a quick way you canopen up, you can see, okay,
(11:24):
here's my power coming in,here's it's going through the
disconnect, maybe it's goingthrough a breaker.
At what point does it get brokendown?
That's your control transformer,your transformers.
Okay.
All right.
Now, the third from a powerstandpoint that we want to talk
about are your power supplies.
Because you got to be able quiteoften to get DC conversion for
your field devices.
(11:44):
So after your transformer, yourpower supplies can convert that
AC, typically to about 120 volt.
That's usually what you're goingto see, into a DC voltage, like
a 24 volt DC, that's highlyutilized in industrial control.
And this low voltage outputpower helps your devices like
your sensors, your relays, andyour PLC input cards.
(12:06):
All right.
So when you identify a smallmetal box with a cooling vent,
maybe like an LED indicatorthat's labeled 24 volt DC
output, guess what?
You found the power supply.
Hallelujah.
So it's the unsung hero thatensure everything kind of talks
correctly without lowering therisk of shock, right?
(12:26):
So this is very important justto understand what to look for
from a power standpoint.
All right.
Now let's just kind of walkthrough one-on-one.
You walk up to a panel, how doyou quickly identify what you're
seeing?
And look, this can beintimidating.
I remember when I was first intothe industry and I would walk up
to these panels, and I would belike, I don't even know what in
the wide world of sports isgoing on here, right?
(12:49):
So it's okay.
It's good to have a healthyrespect for what's going on
inside industrial control panelsbecause they can't hurt you if
you're not careful.
So if you're new to automation,this is this is maybe helpful
for you.
But because just just know this.
Once you understand thestructure, it starts becoming to
make a lot more sense, and it'sjust like reading a map.
(13:10):
Okay, so here's a a very simplebut systematic way to approach
it.
Number one, start with power.
I want to know first out at thegate what can cause me the most
harm.
And that's the power.
So identify the incoming power,the disconnect, follow the path.
Again, it could be through acircuit breaker or through some
type of fuse block to understandwhere it goes to the transformer
(13:33):
and the power supplies, lookingfor those fuses, those breakers,
all those things that isolatethe different circuits.
Try to understand the powerflow.
Okay.
Then from there, you may want totry to locate the brains.
Like find a PLC.
Usually the PLC, quite often, isjust in the middle somewhere
because you have a lot of wiringcoming to it by the time the
wiring is coming in from thebottom.
So just look for there.
(13:54):
You can look for labeled inputsand output terminals, and then
check the communication ports aswell.
You'll see different types ofcommunications from Ethernet to
ProfiNet to Siri.
I mean, all these differenttypes of communication protocols
used for networking.
And then look for the interface.
Like, how am I going tounderstand what's going on?
Usually, this is like an HMIscreen.
(14:14):
Lots of times they're cut out inthe front door, or sometimes
they'll even be remotely mountedterminals.
Whatever the particular setupis, I've seen term HMIs that
have connected to the where theymount to the outside, so you
don't actually do a cutout,they're just bolted to the
outside.
There's lots of different waysto have that.
So once you have a chance to seethe HMI, then see what it's
(14:36):
telling you.
See what if it's showing anypressure or temperature or speed
or anything like that.
Just understand what's going oninside the on the HMI.
And then the organizationoverall, you know, just as you
start working inside differentmanufacturers and different
manufacturers of equipment aswell, you'll notice patterns.
And you'll usually see a patternlayout for efficiency.
(14:59):
So you'll see power componentsat the bottom, because they're
the heaviest and create the mostheat.
You'll see control componentstowards the middle.
You have IO terminals or fieldconnections, usually are on the
top or the side.
So all that stuff is prettystandard.
And then you'll hear some stuffcalled den rail.
So den rail is nothing but apiece of metal strip where these
components can snap to it.
So if you see like a metal stripon the back plane, that's
(15:22):
usually what you use to connectthe uh components directly
inside the control panel versuslike bolting them on directly.
And if you do that, you alsonotice usually if you open up a
panel, you'll see these things,they they're like they're
rectangle, lots of times they'regray, they're long strips, and
it's like what is going on?
It almost looks like a littlechannel or something, right?
(15:44):
What that is, is wiring duct.
Okay, and that allows you as apanel builder to keep your
cables, all your all your wiringcompletely uh neat and rounded
and labeled and out the way, orelse if you didn't have that,
you have wires everywhere.
It just it would be crazy,right?
So then the last thing, alwayscheck for safety and
(16:06):
documentation, like check yourgrounding bars, check to make
sure everything is clearlylabeled.
Reference to wiring diagrams,all right?
Usually you can often find thewiring diagram.
And if you open a control paneldoor, most often there's a
sleeve on the inside of thatdoor.
Check it out right there.
Because those blueprints can beso invaluable, particularly when
it comes to troubleshooting.
(16:26):
All right.
So this is you'll seetechnicians.
Technicians know where thesedrawings are.
I can promise you that.
But the more you practice, myencouragement to you, the
quicker you're gonna develop aninstinct for identifying the
panel anatomy.
Okay.
And over time, you'll just beable to quickly identify power
flow, spot false, or identifymissing termination.
(16:47):
It's just gonna come natural.
It's just one of those thingsthat just comes with reps, okay?
So as we think about this,again, if you want to have a
framework for reliability withinan industrial control panel, it
all comes down to organizationand maintenance.
Because a most advancedautomation system is only as
reliable as the installation anddocumentation that comes with
(17:08):
it.
So, a well-designed controlpanel, I love to see brand new
control panels because theyexhibit craftsmanship, clean
wiring, consistent labeling,very logical layout of the
components, and that is going tojust produce a very robust and
reliable industrial controlpanel.
And some key elements to thinkabout when you're thinking about
(17:30):
longevity and maintainability.
Think about your wiring duck.
We've already talked about itonce, but that wiring duck is
important.
You want to make sure everythingis organized, protected.
You also want to standardize onthe end rail.
That just makes easy formounting relays and breakers and
thermal blocks.
Take them all, take them off somuch easier.
Then you have to think aboutyour fuses and your circuit
breakers because you want tomake sure that you're protecting
(17:51):
for your overcurrentconnections, right?
So this is very important withelectronic devices.
You have your overloads, gottabe super careful about taking
care of your motors.
So the overloads are soimportant.
So your motor tripping currents,uh, if you if they're drawing
too much current, draw, you wantto be able to shut them things
down safely with not causing anyharm.
Don't want to burn up anymotors.
Overloads are important.
(18:12):
Then you have your groundingsystem.
Why is that important?
Because it protects yourequipment from uh stray voltages
and it also protects yourpeople, okay?
And then those accuratedrawings.
Really, can't emphasize thisenough.
Don't miss that part.
If you're working with a vendoror a manufacturer or whoever's
bringing in some equipment, youneed to have the drawings.
(18:33):
The drawings are going to beyour Bible that you go back to
when you're trying to understandwhat's going on or you're trying
to troubleshoot.
You want to have accuracy there.
And here's another thing toconsider as you change equipment
or repair equipment, update thedrawings so that the team will
understand what's going on ifthey have to work on it in the
(18:55):
future.
Okay.
So, ECO, we've long, longemphasized fundamentals because
they make a tangible differencein how a system lasts, the
longevity, and ultimately howquickly a tech can get that
equipment back online.
And that's what it's all about.
We want to get you back on backworking and understanding.
(19:16):
So, again, our history ofsupporting industrial automation
almost 100 years.
It's kind of crazy to thinkabout it.
And that's really meant built.
It's we've built it onpartnerships.
We work with some of the bestmanufacturers on the planet.
We work directly with engineers,OEMs, and manufacturers directly
(19:38):
to design, build, and reallymaintain reliable control
systems that control that canstand the set test of time.
And we feel like this is prettysimple.
If you want to go fast, just goby yourself.
But if you want to go far, bringother people along.
And that's the value we bring atElectrical Equipment Company
because we can go far by walkingalongside you to sharing our
(20:00):
knowledge, to sharing ourconnections with industry and
different manufacturers,solutions, and help prepare and
empower the next generation ofautomation professionals out
there.
So I'm telling you, today, thesame principles that guided EECO
in its early years, you know, sofar as being steady, being true
(20:21):
to the craft, being innovative,still drive how we design and
support manufacturing today.
And control systems are justnear and dear to our heart.
So whether you're working on alegacy MCC or troubleshooting a
network PLC system or trying tojust really get a better
understanding of your 508Acompliant panels, our commitment
(20:45):
is not changed to help keepAmerica's industry running
safer, smarter, and stronger.
That's what it's all about.
So hopefully, you know, if youstart start start thinking about
this again, the industrialcontrol panel, it's not just a
metal enclosure with wires.
No, it is core to the automationsystem.
And we need to hopefully now youmaybe have a little better
(21:08):
understanding of what to expectwhen you walk up in to look at
one.
So if you start thinking aboutlike intelligent PLCs, uh HMIs,
the infrastructure, it reallybrings it all together and
brings it to life.
So hopefully now you have alittle more confidence that
you're not just looking athardware, you're seeing decades
(21:28):
of engineering evolution andcraftsmanship.
And hey, we've been doing it for10 decades here now.
So we're pretty excited aboutthat.
And if you need help and youneed support, please reach out
to us.
There will be links in the shownotes, there'll be links in the
video.
Wherever you're finding this at,we want to be able to connect
with you.
We have labs where you can comein and test some of these
(21:51):
devices directly.
If you just have a panel thatyou need support with and you're
just not sure what's going onwith that panel, we have experts
who are willing to come out toyour site and to help come
alongside you to build yourconfidence so that when you open
up that panel, you know exactlywhat you're looking at.
Okay.
So we're here to help, we'rehere to serve in a mighty way.
(22:13):
And again, the coming up in thenext few months, we're gonna be
giving you hopefully even moreinsight and encouragement into
industrial control panels.
So if this has helped you orencouraged you in any way,
please share it with others, uh,particularly those that are
newer to the industry.
And then you can go toEcoOnline, that's eco
online.com.
(22:33):
Love to connect with you there.
That's where you can connectwith all our resources, all our
experts.
Again, we have labs across allour geography.
So if you want to actuallyschedule some time to come into
one of our labs to do a demo, tojust you know walk through some
equipment, maybe you want to uhjust sharpen your skills in some
areas, we have that umcapability as well.
And then we always work withvendors to do training.
(22:55):
So if you're interested in justbuilding up your training skill
set, go check out our trainingresources as well, because that
could be a great way to justenhance your confidence and your
ability in serving industrialmanufacturing in the future.
Okay.
So if you wouldn't mind give usa rating and review, that stuff
does help for sure.
But the big thing is just giveus check us out at
ecoonline.com.
(23:16):
Follow us on LinkedIn.
We try to put a lot of resourcesthere as well, but really we're
all about that one-on-oneconnection because again, it's
not just about going fast, it'sabout going far together.
So that's what we're all about.
All right.
Well, have a great day.
Thank you so much for hangingout and remember to keep asking
why.
Thank you for listening to EcoAsk Why.
(23:38):
This show is supported ad-freeby Electrical Equipment Company.
Eco is redefining theexpectations of an electrical
distributor by placing peopleand ideas before products.
Please subscribe and share withyour colleagues and friends.
Also leave comments, feedback,and any new topics that you
would like to hear.
To learn more and to share yourinsights, visit ecosy.com.com.
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