Blog | Electrical Engineering Resource

Repair or replace your switchgear lineup: Four things to consider

November 19, 2020/in Power Distribution Equipment, Reliability, Switchgear /by Victoria Anders

Repair or replace? It’s a question repeatedly faced by plant engineers and maintenance managers. For power distribution equipment, there are four important considerations when making that decision.

Choose the right combination motor controller type for your next panel

October 15, 2020/in Motor Starters and Contactors, Panel Builders, SCCR /by Victoria Anders

Combination Motor Controller (CMC) provide the four essential elements of motor branch circuit protection and control. Panel builders should understand the benefits and drawbacks of the five most popular CMC types.

Three ways the right panel components can reduce stress in food and beverage facilities

September 29, 2020/in Easy to install, Energy efficiency, Food & Beverage, Motor Starters and Contactors, Panel Builders, Space savings /by Victoria Anders

Most panel components are sourced based on electrical or functional specs, and then cost. But there are other factors to consider. Learn about three surprising benefits panel builders can realize by making smart component selections for food and beverage facilities.

Boost the reliability of your backup-power control system

August 25, 2020/in ABB Ability, Asset Health, Circuit Breakers, Energy efficiency, Panel Builders, Reliability /by Victoria Anders

Facility managers with backup-power systems are like skydivers; they can’t know if the backup actually works until they need it. Using smart devices in power-control-system panels greatly increases backup-power system reliability.

3 things to think about when selecting an automatic transfer switch

August 19, 2020/in Circuit Breakers, Energy efficiency, Panel Builders, Reliability /by Victoria Anders

The automatic transfer switch has moved from a relatively mundane role in power distribution and control systems to being a major player. Read about three traits to consider to ensure you select the right ATS for your application.

Could you get into the UL845 motor control centers panel market?

July 31, 2020/in Critical Power, Energy efficiency, Motor Starters and Contactors, Panel Builders, Project cost reduction, Reliability /by Victoria Anders

Providing UL845 motor control centers represents a step up the value chain for UL508 panel shops. But that step up into a new and potentially profitable market requires a smaller step than you might think.

Streamlining panel design equals higher SCCR

June 30, 2020/in ABB Ability, Circuit Breakers, Panel Builders /by Victoria Anders

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Sean Ghoddoucy, Segment Manager, National Alliance Accounts, ABB
Daniel Lightsey, ABB Ability(TM), Smart Power

Panels with higher AIC / SCCR ratings provide superior safety, helping protect employees and equipment while avoiding production losses and scrap. OEM machine builders and panel builders can pursue several paths to achieve those higher ratings.

Digital tools for finding and buying panel components

May 27, 2020/in Panel Builders /by Victoria Anders

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Molly Hannigan
OEM Sales Manager
ABB Electrification Business

The pandemic greatly increased the use by manufacturers and distributors of digital and online tools to stay in touch with customers. Panel builders are using these digital tools for finding and buying panel components needed to keep production on track.

3 big benefits of an energy management system

May 27, 2020/in ABB Ability, Energy efficiency, Reliability /by Victoria Anders

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Kevin Jordan
Market Development Manager
ABB AbilityTM

For facilities where power is critical and costly facility owners and managers rely on energy management systems (EMS) to better control their power distribution devices. Increased control is just one of three benefits of an EMS.

4 Steps to calculate short circuit current ratings in industrial control panels

April 28, 2020/in Circuit Breakers, Panel Builders, SCCR /by Victoria Anders

short circuit current ratings

Daniel Lightsey
ABB Ability(TM), Smart Power
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Marcelo E. Valdes
PE, IEEE Fellow Applications Eng. Manager
ABB Electrification Products Industrial Solutions

Short circuit current ratings (SCCR) are a critical specification when designing industrial control panels. Determining the appropriate SCCR actually requires no calculations. Instead, there is a simple, four-step process to follow.

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