Control Panel Pictures

Hi there,

Here's a link to my photobook.

http://fotoboek.voorwerk.nu/


Ed

My turn

This is my latest Conveyor line control panel for a small 30 motor system. The Powerflex drives run belts while the contactors run the roller sections. My input terminals are on the left, output terminals on the right, with black and white terminals in the center for 120VAC distribution, and yellow in the lower right for field spare wiring (run at the same time as the field wiring). Not visible is the Panelview in the left door of the panel.

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Eric, I will agree that most panels I've seen from Europe are very nice, but, I've seen a lot of great-looking panels made in the good ole USA as well. It's up to us to keep getting better at it than we have been.

A typical panel

ndzied1 said:

Hey Eric,

Thanks for the Kudos but I wasn't the only one involved. The panels I posted were from my previous work and most things were a group effort.

One thing we did was to plot FULL SCALE drawings of the panel layout including mounting holes. The electricion would tape the drawings down on the panel and drill and tap all the mounting holes right through the drawing.

As long as the drawings were correct and plotted to the correct scale everything works very well!

nOrM

Click to expand...

We do something similar except we send the ACAD drawing to the laser-cut shop and have all the holes "punched" when the panel is cut ... its good to be an OEM and do 25 identical panels at a time

I'll dig up some pictures this afternoon.

Eric,

That's a beautiful drawing!! Where did you get the symbols for the devices, PLC, terminals, xfrmr etc.? I made up my own symbols. Rather boxy looking, but it gets the job done..

I am guessing ViaDirect or ECT Promis-e Draw or Draw plus. Perhaps not, but...

Here is panel which is part of my last project in US in Phoenix AR.

You can add the JIC symbols to Autocad.
Download available here MrPLC.com
I see Eric has drawn a few of his own.
Nice work!

Now I have to get into incompetencies of certain engineers. I recently had to build a panel that had deficiences...ie the slc500 system had 2 racks, 13 slot and 10 slot that were to be connected by an expansion cable.

How many of you take the time to learn how long a cable can be before laying out a system?

An AB expansion cable has a max length of 50 inches (1.27 meters). The cabinet was layed out with the cable going from right to right when it has to be from right end to left end.

The panel was built per the drawing... The cabinet now is a mess...when you want the BAD I will post it. The second rack has been moved, leaving a trail of sticky backs, to the right and the cable is going straight down thru the panduit.

The PO's etc were cut before I was involved so my push for Controlnet or DeviceNet fell on deaf ears....this eyesore has an overabundace of Sealtight going to the main cabinet....took days and 3 people to connect all this ****. The thing is it is actually a simple system.

I did get my 2 cents heard when they had a problem with the return water system. This is an extruder system that makes gaskets to go around 55 gal drums. The gaskets leave the extruder and go thru a cold water bath. The return system/pump to the main tank cycled too much and the original motor ran hot plus make a lot of noise. They attempted to use 2 smaller pumps for the return but this system also had issues. I nonchalantly said this wasnt how I would have done it, I would have used an analog type sensor with a VFD to drive the pump maintaining a constant speed as long as water was flowing, if bath water stopped and return tank got to minimum level then stop. We are now obtaining the parts to establish my VFD system.

I did...kinda...build and program the system that turns on the pumps, chiller and spray for the cold water bath....but its been modified (and I had to work with used parts) that I am ashamed to post it also but will if asked. It also is a simple system using a ML1200 that allows you to turn on circulatiing pump then 30 second delay and chiller comes on. The circulating pump and chiller may be automatically turned on using time settings from a PV 300 micro. Spray for bath can be turned on manually at any time. The return water system is automatic...ie if water is in return tank it pumps it back to main tank.

When it came time to program the "welding system" mentioned above the engineer was vehement that the programmer have peace and quiet???? Since when does a programmer doing a power and I/O check NOT want the person/people that did the wiring to be there????? Doesnt it make it easier for all concerned in the long run????

Anoter issue I have is with determining speed of the conveyor...doesnt it make more sense to use the VFD and/or an encoder than a photoeye...in general? Especially if major modifications have to be made to use a photoeye?

Sorry about the rant.

AD drawings available for Download...

Mike,

All the AD PLC parts can be downloaded from their website. It does look real nice when you have the drawing looking exactly like it will when it is built. I have even gone as far as moving all my parts up in the Z axis and placing a 3D plane under them so that when I insert the parts and print them, everything that would be under the part (dinrail, snaptrak, etc inserted with a zero for the Z axis) would not show. (I do a hide before I print.)

Bob

Eric,

Was that just a PDF or WMF?

Re: AD drawings available for Download...

testsubject said:

Was that just a PDF or WMF?

Click to expand...

Neither, Bob. Just a 'printscreen' from AutoCAD...

testsubject said:

All the AD PLC parts can be downloaded from their website.

Click to expand...

Too bad that wasn't true back in the late '90s when I needed them. I had inquired about drawings when they were still PLC Direct, but was told they used different software for the drawings in the catalog. They couldn't offer anything in .DXF or .DWG format. I drew ALL the modules from scratch...

I still make a lot of my own blocks when a drawing doesn't exist, or the one offered lacks detail. I'll 'cheat' if it's a component I don't plan on using in the future. Those get a simple footprint drawing. Some may have noticed that my 'drawing' shows a Tele contactor, while the 'picture' shows a Siemens...

beerchug

-Eric

Notice in Eric's post above, #24, that in the upper right hand corner it appears that there is a service outlet that bears an uncanny resemblence to Eric's avatar.

As of this post, there have been over 1,200 views of this thread, probably not a record, but all the same, quite respectable.

Hopefully we all can pick up a trick or two looking at the pictures, and exchanging ideas.

Maybe we should set up a poll for the best looking panel on another thread?

If this one gets much bigger, we'll have to make a PART B, takes several minutes to load on my antique computer, maybe need to upgrade from vacuum tubes to nuvistors.



B A D --- P A N E L --- P I C T U R E S

If this thread starts slowing down by next weekend, I'll put up a new thread for the NASTY PANELS, there is probably no reason relay panels can't be in there too.

Thanks too all who have participated and all who have viewed.

regards.......casey

kc9ih said:

Notice in Eric's post above, #24, that in the upper right hand corner it appears that there is a service outlet that bears an uncanny resemblence to Eric's avatar.

Click to expand...

At first, I was thinking "What the heck is Casey talking about?". Once I had a look, I burst out laughing...

Here's a side-by-side comparison for those who didn't notice:

[attachment]

Yeah, I'd call that an uncanny resemblance!... lolis

Thanks for pointing that out, Casey. I needed a good laugh!...

beerchug

-Eric

LOL.

Eric,

You should try the Dinrail mountable outlets from ASI. Single outlet is something like $13. I have been using them and it is easier than mounting a box, outlet and faceplate.

I did not even think about using the printscreen...hehe

Bob

doesnt it make more sense to use the VFD and/or an encoder than a photoeye...

I realize this is off topic, but I have submitted a panel photo so I'll comment on Ron's question. Shortly and sweetly the answer is yes, use VFDs if there is the possibility the speed of a conveyor will change.
Most lines are engineered to run a certain speed, but the one thing most "engineers" forget is the PROCESS WILL CHANGE. I've never had it NOT happen. But getting them to cough up the money for the VFDs at construction can be hard to do. It was where I work now when I first started. Now, however, I've proven the value of VFDs and our engineers spec them where I ask them to.