Rapidly improving new technologies and continual innovation in industrial automation are posing new challenges in control cabinet design. This begs the question: How can companies future-proof the design of their control cabinets to meet the requirements of modern technology? Tobias Thelemann, Product Manager for Mechanical Components and Electrical Installation at reichelt elektronik, defines the strategies that would integrate flexibility, modularity, scalability etc. into control cabinet designs as well as seamlessly adapt control cabinets to future technological changes.
The importance of control cabinets
Although the outside of a control cabinet looks fairly ordinary, its inner components are anything but. The enclosure houses a wealth of technical solutions that work together to ensure that industrial processes are controlled and monitored reliably and efficiently — the key tasks of a control cabinet.
A control cabinet also keeps electronics tidy. Cable connections are often complex and need to be routed precisely. Clearly organised wiring is essential for any control cabinet to perform well and be easy to maintain. Safety and security is also key. With its lockable doors, the enclosure prevents unauthorised personnel from accessing critical components and protects the components against dust, moisture, mechanical damage and other external factors.
Possible applications and increasing digitalisation
Redesigning control cabinets is also necessary to meet the additional requirements resulting from digitalisation and automation, which continue to be integrated more and more in plants and production facilities. It is particularly important that control cabinets can now be networked and automated with individual design and production steps. Highly digital processes make it possible to automate various switching processes, which consequently reduces error rates and causes the system to work more efficiently. The advantages of a digital control cabinet are therefore indisputable. It should be known that there are different approaches and technologies for digitally mapping control cabinets or their production processes, based on the objectives and complexity of the requirements.
Technical documentation (e.g. relating to power flows and circuit diagrams) is often the starting point for companies looking to digitalise. This data can no longer be accessed via paper-based processes. Instead, the data is stored on digital platforms such as cloud document platforms. Another step toward digitalisation can be achieved through IoT (Internet of Things) integration, in which sensors and actuators are connected to IoT devices for the purpose of collecting and analysing real-time data. The digitalised processes also help to make current processes completely transparent. For example, this enables status monitoring (e.g. current temperature) or general energy consumption analyses — which can even be carried out remotely. Modern control cabinets with IoT connections are currently in use in the building automation, energy technology and industry sectors and are helping to make processes more efficient.
Cost savings through energy-efficient control cabinets
Increasing process efficiency also has a positive impact on energy bills, because optimised control cabinet energy consumption also results in lower operating expenses. This is another area where IoT helps boost efficiency by collecting data. Using digital data allows deficiencies such as excessive power consumption to be identified more quickly and then optimised.
An efficient control cabinet is also important for air conditioning, because systems are now more sensitive to dust, moisture, temperature and other external factors due to the continual miniaturisation of electronic components and the greater packing density of these smaller components in control cabinets. Excessive temperatures are particularly harmful to sensitive microelectronics.
Proper insulation can also be continuously monitored using real-time data and adjusted when necessary. This is highly important because effective insulation helps to regulate the temperature indoors and protect against fluctuations in ambient temperature. Proper insulation therefore helps to maintain a control cabinet’s regular safety and efficiency levels during operation. Possible impairments that can occur if effective insulation has not been installed include short circuits, damaged components and even fires. To assess the effectiveness of the insulation, various sensors can be integrated to measure and therefore monitor parameters such as temperature or humidity. Digitally documenting insulation materials also makes it easier to plan and to react quickly, for example if materials need to be replaced.
A good tip is to install the control cabinet in a suitable location with a low and stable ambient temperature, as this generally reduces the need for cooling. Overall energy consumption can also be reduced by using energy-efficient components such as relays, contactors and other control components. Implementing these measures can considerably improve energy efficiency in control cabinet applications, which not only reduces costs but also helps to lower CO2 emissions.
Modular design and scalability
A control cabinet must have a flexible and modular design to keep pace with technological advancements. What’s more, this design can also streamline the cabinet’s scalability. A flexible design and plug-and-play solutions mean that new modules can be added easily or current modules can be replaced without having to redesign the entire control cabinet. This is particularly relevant for sectors in which plants are frequently adapted or redesigned.
Using pre-assembled modules is another plus, as these modules often consist of pre-fabricated components that make the installation process quicker. Examples include power supply units, controllers and RCDs. Tentative companies still at the start of their digital control cabinet journey are advised to invest in control cabinets that can be upgraded with additional components. These cabinets make it easy to use other smart components such as smart breakers or additional communication interfaces. Future control cabinets will then be able to use smart power switches that measure and monitor power consumption and voltage levels, for example.
In particular, modular control cabinets are easier to adapt to new requirements, which in turn improves operating times. The advantage of this is that every investment focuses on new modules as required, rather than having to replace an entire control cabinet.
Safety and maintenance
When designing control cabinets, it is important to consider compliance with specifications and standards, because these ensure that control cabinets meet consistent safety standards.
DIN EN 61439 is one of the most widely recognised standards and regulates control cabinet construction, safety and testing. It is important to consider the heat generated within control cabinets because trapped heat can prevent the electrical components from working properly. Alongside DIN EN 61439, other standards also apply to control cabinet construction, including the EMC regulations, which lay down key electromagnetic compatibility-related provisions, for example. These specifications are critical to ensuring that the control cabinets are effective yet also compatible with their environment.
It is also necessary to regularly check whether these standards and other functionalities of the control cabinet are in good working order, so as to ensure a consistent level of safety. Regular maintenance work is therefore also an essential corporate responsibility (and is even mandatory in Germany) in order to prevent electrical faults such as short circuits or power surges and to eliminate consequential damage.
Control cabinets must also be inspected and, if necessary, adapted and upgraded to reflect new technology so that they remain up to date wherever possible. Automated processes such as AI (artificial intelligence) can also be used during maintenance itself to predict requirements and even take proactive measures. Specifically, AI monitors and analyses the status of the components via the sensor data. Should a deviation in temperature or power fluctuations be detected, corrective action can be taken immediately in response to the malfunction and any potential insulation problems.
However, AI is used to make potential faults more predictable, and not just for current status checks. In predictive maintenance the AI accesses historical real-time data and predicts when an internal system or individual component failure may occur, an example being the service life of the relays. Algorithms for machine learning and data analysis are combined using AI-powered planning software, which allows for the generation of automated maintenance reports containing recommended actions, thereby providing clear decision-making assistance for designers.
Control cabinet goes smart
To gain access to efficient production, it is essential that companies invest in control cabinet digitalisation. End-to-end digitalisation of all work steps across the entire value chain provides a comprehensive smart solution approach. This helps every process to be understood more clearly, not least via the integration of IoT technology, which optimises the exchange of data in real time and leads to greater efficiency.
Control cabinets are a crucial component of modern industrial automation thanks to their modular design and scalability. They enable companies to react to market changes and changes in technology with greater speed and flexibility. Future control cabinets will also be designed with even greater energy efficiency in mind. Companies that recognise the relevance of smart control cabinets in advance and act upon this will have the capacity to generate advantages over the competition.
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