
Wireways

Wireways are used to route wires and cables in environments where contaminants such as dirt, dust, oil and moisture may be present. Wireways are designed as a trough with hinged or removable covers to protect the cables, while still allowing them to be accessible. Two common styles of wireways are lay-in and pull-through.
Lay-in wireways feature a hinged top for easy access and an opening on one side so that wires and cables can be laid in along the entire run without pulling. Lay-in wireways simplify installations of large cables and multiple wires and cables. They are also useful when installations may require future wiring changes. Lay-in wireways can connect multiple sections together for long, simple runs or different fittings can be attached for modifications.
Pull-through wireways are better for simple installations with smaller cables or fewer wires and cables, than lay-in wireways. They have a pull-through design where wire and cable is inserted in one end of the wireway and pulled through to the other end. Pull-through sections provide a smooth interior surface to prevent wire damage during installation. They can be connected for long, simple runs or different fittings can be attached for modifications.
4 best practices when fabricating a control panel.
- Use a larger enclosure whenever possible. This allows room in the panel design to properly space all of the hardware and to install larger wire ducting. Panels that have ample space tend be me more organized, while panels that have everything crammed into a small space tend to be more difficult to work in and are often less organized.
- Tap holes instead of using self-tapping screws. It is common for panel builders to use self-tapping screws to save time during the fabrication process. While it can save time, this type of fastener does not always provide the consistent, strong connection that may be needed for the mounted hardware. This is especially true when hardware may need to be removed at some point and then later reattached. Holes that have been tapped prior to hardware installation will offer a stronger, more consistent connection point that will last longer.
- Ensure that wire ducting is large enough. It is very easy to undersize wire ducting when designing a panel. It is important to always plan for wire ducting to have extra room available once all wires have been run through it, including field wires.
- When in doubt, label it. It is a very good practice to label wires in a control panel, but it is not always required to label the other types of hardware in the panel to meet code. It is important to understand that any operators that may access this panel at a later date may not understand what the hardware in the panel is intended for. To make the panel is as safe as possible, and to allow operators to function in the panel more efficiently, it is a good idea to label everything that may come into question.