OT panel wiring practice

cjd1965 · Jan 23, 2008

Hi
I am in the UK and I have some machines here supplied from the USA. One of my guys asked me to assist him on a breakdown and when I looked into the panel I noticed that there was control cables running between the DIN rail and the 3 phase motor contactors that were clipped onto the DIN rail.

This situation was widespread in the panel and was not a case of a sparky/bubba accidently catching a cable as they replaced a contactor

I have never seen this before in my 25 yrs of industrial maintenance / control engineering and I would consider it to be bad practice. In my early years I was always taught to use panel trunking/ducting or to loom the cables together
The panel is approx 10 years old. Is the acceptable in the USA?

Cheers

Jon R · Jan 23, 2008

We deal with hydraulic powerpacks coming over from the US, and when you open up the control box the Live(HOT apparently) and Neutral terminal rail doesn't even have any covers on. They glass fuse holders don't have covers and there is no means of isolation of the incoming single phase ( I guess you could always remove one of the fuses if you're brave enough).

We now change the panels to comply with the UK regs, and to make it easier to work on as it seems ok to stuff more than two wires into a terminal on a PCB.

Jon.

SLC_Integrator · Jan 23, 2008

I cant speak for other panel builders here in the US but the panels we build are most certainly up to spec.

Wire duct/Panduit is used anywhere cable is run, voltages are separated and all panels are designed and built with safety and ease of maintenance in mind.

That being said, I have come across some horrible workmanship in my time, both in the US AND in the UK.

jimbo3123 · Jan 23, 2008

cjd1965 said:
Hi
there was control cables running between the DIN rail and the 3 phase motor contactors that were clipped onto the DIN rail.

Are you saying that the control wiring is tucked under the contactor, between it and the DIN rail that it is mounted on?

I've never seen anything like that before.

jjnelson81 · Jan 23, 2008

Our brothers across the pond are getting a bad impression of US standards because of some poor panel engineering, bummer.

I second SLC's post, all of our panels have to be UL certified. Panduit is a standard for us as well

allscott · Jan 23, 2008

cjd1965 said:
Hi
I am in the UK and I have some machines here supplied from the USA. One of my guys asked me to assist him on a breakdown and when I looked into the panel I noticed that there was control cables running between the DIN rail and the 3 phase motor contactors that were clipped onto the DIN rail.

This situation was widespread in the panel and was not a case of a sparky/bubba accidently catching a cable as they replaced a contactor

I have never seen this before in my 25 yrs of industrial maintenance / control engineering and I would consider it to be bad practice. In my early years I was always taught to use panel trunking/ducting or to loom the cables together
The panel is approx 10 years old. Is the acceptable in the USA?

Cheers

It took me awhile to visualise what you were saying but if I have it straight then NO this is not typical or acceptable in North America. I've never seen that done in a panel over here either

kamenges · Jan 23, 2008

While I don't think I recommend the described practice nor have I ever seen it, I can't think of a specific code or standard that is being violated either, whether US or European. I have never seen a specific requirement that wires or cables be run in wireway and it sounds like the cables were firmly attached to the DIN rail.

Was this the only squirrelly thing in the panel or are there many more examples? As the OP stated, some thought went into this, whether right or wrong.

Keith

cjd1965 · Jan 23, 2008

yes Jimbo, the cables were run under the contactors, between the contactor and the DIN rail........ yikes

allscott · Jan 23, 2008

Any chance you could post a picture? That would be interesting to see.

And Keith yes I can't think of any code or standard that would prevent it. By acceptable I meant that it wouldn't be acceptable to me.

OkiePC · Jan 23, 2008

cjd1965 said:
yes Jimbo, the cables were run under the contactors, between the contactor and the DIN rail........ yikes

Wow. I have come across many panels with wiring "practices" that ticked me off, but finding something like that would put me right over the edge...

OT panel wiring practice

cjd1965

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Jon R

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SLC_Integrator

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jimbo3123

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jjnelson81

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allscott

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kamenges

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cjd1965

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OkiePC

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