Industrial Control Panel Build Series, Part 2: Planning

Industrial_Control_Panel_Build_Series_Part_2_Planning_(Updated).pdf

Discussing the initial planning stages in the build process.

Transcript:

[0m:4s] Hi I'm Josh Bloom, welcome to another video in the RSP Supply education series. If you find that these videos are helpful to you, it certainly helps us out and if you can give us a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel. In today's video, we will begin talking about what is the very first step when building an industrial control panel. That step is the planning phase. There is a lot they can go into this step, including engineering, site design, hardware spec just to name a few.
[0m:30s] For the purpose of this video series, we will focus on a few main points, including IO requirements, hardware selection based off of that IO, communications, time frame, and as well as a few other minor points. Keep in mind the planning process we will discuss today is just one way to accomplish this step with many other techniques that may be just as effective.
[0m:52s] Feel free to take your own approach as you make your plans for your own build. When in the planning stages of the build. One of the most important things you can look at is the amount of IO that will be required for that specific application.
[1m:6s] By having this information, you will be able to very quickly narrow down some of the most important pieces of hardware that will actually be needed, especially hardware that is to be integrated with the PLC and the PLC itself.
[1m:20s] Determining what the IO requirements are will take some upfront engineering, but is an absolute necessity when planning and building a panel.
[1m:29s] Also, in the planning stages, you need to consider if you plan to have remote access to the panel and how you intend to communicate to the hardware located therein.
[1m:40s] This is especially relevant if the panel will end up being located in a more remote location which is not uncommon.
[1m:47s] It is important to determine the best methods of communication whether it be an industrial radio or hard line or any other alternatives.
[1m:56s] It is also important to take into consideration what is already existing and make sure that new hardware can integrate into the existing system.
[2m:5s] Some other things that need to be taken into consideration is what other hardware will be needed, such as lighting or battery backup systems, touch panels, locks, and other power alternatives, such as solar panels and related hardware. By determining each of these steps, you will be able to identify everything you need to know about the panel that you are building, which will better prepare you for the actual design phase of the build where you can take all the hardware that has been chosen and actually put it on paper and get an idea of what it might look like when complete.
[2m:38s] Lastly, it is important to understand what time constraints you may encounter. Have a date in mind the panel needs to be complete by and determine if you can hit that deadline. Take into account scenarios which you have little or no control such as lead time on hardware or delays in customer timeline, and make sure you plan for those situations. By following some of these basic steps when planning out your control panel, you should be able to design fabricate and deliver a panel that will meet or exceed the expectations of the end user.
[3m:12s] For a full line of industrial control panel hardware and thousands of other products, please go to our website. For more information or other educational videos, go to RSPSupply.com, the Internet's top source for industrial hardware. Also, don't forget: like and subscribe.