Are all MCC Cabinets the same

Forgive me to being new, but I would like to know if I buy a GE MCC Cabinet and the buy Allen Bradley equipment, will I run into problems?

HUH???

Perhaps if you'd give us some more clues about your intentions...

Clarity

I guess what I am really asking is: Are devices such as Motor startors, VFD's and other things that would go into an MCC, brand specific to the cabinet they go in? How they mount and how they attach to the bus bars, etc?

Most people I deal with buy an assembled MCC lineup rather than purchase the components and assemble them on their own.

Assuming it's even possible to mix and match, which is doubtful, any savings you might realize by purchasing the components from different vendors would be more than offset by the additional time required to figure out how to make them play together nicely.

Thanks for your help Steve. I assume then that if I buy all Allen Bradley/Rockwell MCC stuff then I should also purchase all AB PLC stuff because of compatibility issues. Forgive me for the stupid question, but my new employer has asked me to set up their new process control system. They have got some used AB, GE,and Modicon equipment and some brand new National Instruments PAC stuff. I have no way of looking at this stuff for a month and I trying to decide whether I need to throw everything away and start fresh, or if I can piece everything together. It looks like I should just pick a vendor and throw everything else away.

It's one thing if you're adding a new motor and you need to figure out if you can mount that Cutler Hammer starter you have on hand in an empty Allen Bradley bucket.

It's a totally different issue if you're planning for a new installation. In that case, unless your plant electricians are sitting around playing spider solitaire most of the day, you're probably better off giving your local vendors the motor list and asking them to quote an assembled lineup with sufficient spare capacity.

I assume then that if I buy all Allen Bradley/Rockwell MCC stuff then I should also purchase all AB PLC stuff because of compatibility issues

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To a large extent, that depends on how many bells and whistles you're planning on. If all the PLC needs to do is energize the starter coil and get an auxiliary contact wired back to an input module, then it doesn't matter which PLC. Even if you want the full boatload of data available from a starter with a fieldbus interface, most MCC vendors will be able to offer more than one fieldbus interface and most PLCs are capable of talking over more than one fieldbus, so matching PLC brand to MCC brand isn't as important as you might think. If you use an MCC from vendor A and a PLC from vendor B, you're likely to find at least one network they're both compatible with.

novice question

I hope you don't mind if I ask one more novice question. Is it simple to explain exactly how most MCC venfors wire the I/O points? For instance, on the PLC side of the motor starter does the wire run from the startor contact to a common terminal block located somewhere in the MCC and from there taken to the PLC I/O point? If so, is it the same for all of the I/O, digital and analog alike?

I imagine they try to use as few termination points as possible.

You can specify to your vendor wahat I/O Points are required. Most MCC have cubicles that supply specific equipment. Example one cubicle would contain one mag starter for one pump. All I/O are wiried in the cubicle to a terminal strip. These terminal strips can usually be seperated from the feild wiring. The reason for this is cubicles can be pulled out and moved around if required at a later date.

My preference is Cutler.

SCG said:

Forgive me to being new, but I would like to know if I buy a GE MCC Cabinet and the buy Allen Bradley equipment, will I run into problems?

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My first post here. Generally when you buy an MCC you buy it equipped with that mfgs equipment installed. Starters, etc. They will provide you with whatever connection points you want in each bucket. These may terminate at the bucket or perhaps in another section you have designated for the purpose. You then finish the control however you want, be it PBs or a PLC of whatever make.

Thanks

Thanks for all your posts. You are great! I know my questions will simple and I appreciate your time in answering them. I believe that I will use Cutler-Hammer MCC with the new National stuff that my company has.

Depending on your budget ab intellicenter may be an option. With htis system there is very little hardwirng for controls it can be devicenet or ethernet to an ab plc. There are large cost savings if you plan on using a lot of starters and such and a lot of data from the mcc.

Or you can't go wrong with this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBp5ag6SJH4

One Great Video

Mickey, that is one great video. I am going to have to get me one of those. Sounds like it will just design itself. Awesome!!!