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CONTROL PANELS
 
PRM is Third Party Certified to manufacture
Industrial Control Panels in the US. Our panel shop is internal to our
manufacturing facility and we provide control panels for simple and
complex systems. We offer the most diverse knowledge base of varying
systems and it is our goal to provide a control panel that is as safe as
possible offering uncompromised reliability. PRM is both 508 and 698A
certified for Intrinsically safe applications. PRM manufactures
hundreds of control panels per year and our panel shop guys are the most
knowledgeable and reliable guys around.
COMPONENTS USED ON PRM INDUSTRIAL CONTROL PANELS
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
When designing a system, the control panel should be
given the utmost attention in order to have a reliable system. PRM
recommends focusing on the following when specifying a control panel:
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All motors should have appropriate breakers, motor
overloads and starters. Supplemental protectors are commonly used in
the industry in the place of breakers, but they are not recognized
as a Third Party device for short circuit protection and it should
be specified that they are not allowed. A good inspector will catch
this, but it is recommended for the engineer to make it clear that
they are not allowed.
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Motor thermal overloads should be sized to
operate in the operating range of the motor only. Some
manufacturers make overloads that are infinitely adjustable. This
will work and it is legal, but it is a bad design. For instance, if a motor
nameplate amperage is 20, then it is recommended to have a thermal
that is adjustable in the range of 16-23amps, versus a unit that is
adjustable from 10-40amps. Obviously, it is too easy (and tempting)
to turn the thermal up to the max if a motor is giving problems
instead of taking the appropriate corrective actions. This is a
potential fire hazard in which liability may fall back on the
engineer if a failure causes damage.
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If a control panel includes Intrinsically Safe
(IS) relays, it is VERY IMPORTANT that it is totally isolated from
line voltage or any other wiring. This should include a specific
designated area for IS cabling to enter the panel. On projects that
include IS wiring, it is very typical for the electrical installer
to install line voltage wiring adjacent to the IS wiring which is a
clear violation of the NEC and a MAJOR LIABILITY as this poses a
risk of explosion. We highly recommend a clear defined
specification here and we also recommend that the engineer ensure
that the electrical contractor doing the installation DOES not
commingle wiring which can lead to potential problems.
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It should be specified that a panel with any
level of solid state controls have appropriate surge suppression on
the control circuit and if possible on all three phases of the
incoming power. With de-regulation occurring throughout the
country, we see variations in power that will cause damage if not
properly protected. If motors are incorporated, we recommend the
specification of a 3 phase voltage monitor that will shut down the
system and trigger an alarm if voltage supply falls outside of the
acceptable specification. An
unbalanced voltage can
cause motor failure and WILL cause motor degradation which will lead
to failure.
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Require that the control panel be Third Party
Certified by a testing facility such as
ETL,
MET
or UL.
The certified panel is a Law that is required by OSHA. When a
panel that is not certified is used, this Law is being violated. It
should be noted that the Enclosure certification sticker IS NOT the
certification for the complete control panel, but rather only for
the enclosure.
MARKETS SERVED
- Environmental Remediation Systems
- Landfill Gas Control Systems
- Electric and Gas Fired Oxidizers, Furnaces and Ovens
- Water re-use Recycling Systems
- Municipal Pump-Station Controls
- Industrial Process Control Applications
Click
here to view recent photographs of
Control Panels manufactured by PRM
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