Equipment control panels are used in all process and machine control applications.
Equipment manufacturers specialize in designing and producing mechanical equipment to perform specific functions and solve specific problems.
They can sell only their equipment, but customers want to buy an equipment package so they can sell more equipment with equipment control panels.
They provide a better package when they provide better equipment control panels, so it’s a business problem. What’s the best way to provide them?
What to do about Equipment Control Panels ?
Most equipment providers have designed and built their own equipment control panels or used local panel shops with some success. If they have an electrical controls department, it will always be subordinate to their mechanical equipment. When they decide they want to perform optimally they try to select the best partner.
The moment of decision often arrives when control problems occur too often and someone gets tired of dealing with them. There could be several reasons, but there’s usually a triggering event. Maybe their controls guy quit, or their panel shop became slow to respond, or a control panel problem delayed a shipment, or startup.
Equipment Control Panel options ?
Ideally you choose the right company the first time and develop a long lasting relationship. When you don’t make the right choice you know it because you start having control panel problems. Don’t be afraid to admit your mistake and move on. Make a better choice next time.
Most control panel manufacturers specialize in a market like Process Control, Machine Control, or Building Controls. Each requires an investment to be understood, so it makes good choose one that specializes in your market. Some are capable of serving multiple markets well, but they’re rare. What are the options?
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- Electrical Control Panel Manufacturers that specialize in producing control panels. They understand how Parts Distributors, Contractors, System Integrators, and Equipment Manufacturers work, but aren’t interested in performing their functions.
- PROS – They understand controls applications, field mounted devices, and unusual customer requirements, and respond faster and provide more service.
- CONS – They make you work harder to provide more up front detail about the application, incoming power, and customer requirements before they will quote and submit.
- Electrical Parts Distributors that assemble control panels to extend their parts sales business.
- PROS – They can be the cheapest option because they’re assembling control panels to sell the parts.
- CONS – You have to be clear about what you want because they don’t understand controls applications and their quality can vary when they don’t use dedicated people.
- Electrical Contractors that make control panels to expand their contracting business.
- PROS – They can be a cheap option because they’re building control panels to expand their electrical contracting business.
- CONS – You have to be clear about what you want because they don’t always understand controls applications and their quality can vary when they don’t have dedicated people.
- Control System Integrators that build control panels as part of their control systems business.
- PROS – They can be a good option because building control panels supports their control systems business.
- CONS – They understand controls applications, but their quality can vary when they don’t use dedicated people.
- Electrical Control Panel Manufacturers that specialize in producing control panels. They understand how Parts Distributors, Contractors, System Integrators, and Equipment Manufacturers work, but aren’t interested in performing their functions.