Designing, installing, and maintaining control systems involves a lot of wires. Each wire has a purpose, often indicated by the color of the insulation. But what are the common colors, and what do they mean?
May 15, 2023 by Seth Price
Large motors require a circuit to turn on and off. This may be as simple as a single on/off drum-type switch or as elaborate as a VFD unit. Learn about some common control circuit designs for typical three-phase motor requirements.
February 26, 2023 by David Peterson
We are taught that parallel circuits maintain equal voltage across all branch resistors, equally sharing the source voltage. But reality is often far from ideal, and individual devices certainly impact the rest of the circuit.
January 12, 2023 by Seth Price
Industrial control panels are at the heart of control systems. Learn about the standards and regulations that dictate industrial control panel design for safety and efficiency, including NFPA 70, UL 60947-4-1, and NFPA 79.
September 27, 2022 by Antonio Armenta
Whether open or closed, industry standard or built for tough environments, or modular or customized, it is important to follow a set of repeatable tasks when designing industrial control panels for efficiency and safety.
September 20, 2022 by Antonio Armenta
Any machine can become a source of elevated temperature, even under regular operation. We cannot assume that temperature problems occur only based on climate conditions, and mitigation steps must be employed.
August 11, 2022 by Antonio Armenta
One of the most visible elements of industrial safety is the use of lock-out-tag-out (LOTO) devices, familiar to those with experience. But, if you are new to the workforce, a brief introduction may be helpful.
February 16, 2022 by David Peterson