Losing the Cabin
Automation is evolving, and so is the electrical cabinet.
For as long as there’s been warehousing automation, there’s been the electrical cabinet that houses the power to the equipment. Essentially, an industrial electrical cabinet receives power from the source, then distributes it to the equipment. Equipment manufacturers use electrical codes in the design process and ensure all the components and wiring are set to appropriately power the equipment.
Until recently, these electrical components have existed in a cabinet that exists outside of the equipment. While this has worked well, the cabinets do have downsides for your operations.
For one, these cabinets are large and bulky, taking up a good deal of space in an area that could be put to better use. They are difficult to move when the situation arises, thanks to their large size and weight. They also involve hundreds of feet of cable if the cabinet is centralized, making troubleshooting and repair work difficult.
Other downsides to electrical cabinets include a lengthy period for commissioning and assembling. This must be performed at the OEM’s site, then broken down, shipped to the customer site, and reassembled. Constructing and hand wiring the panels is a complex process.
Other issues with cabinets are the heat generating components on the inside. Companies must address the issue and add air conditioning units to help cool them down. When there’s an issue with the electrical panel, you must bring in an electrician to open it up and perform the maintenance, an expensive proposition. In all, the case against electrical cabinets is strong, which is why OEMs and customers are now gravitating away from them. Instead, equipment now comes with the option of mounting the drives to the equipment itself, instead of in a separate cabinet.
If you’re considering a cabinet less set up for your next big equipment purchase, you’ll want to evaluate the ROI. While the initial cost for a cabinet less set up is higher than with a traditional cabin, it will lead to an overall reduction in costs, which add up substantially over time.
A cabinet less piece of equipment allows for ease of maintenance—it’s essentially plug and play. If it requires maintenance or the replacement of components, an on-staff tech can perform the work, swapping the old out with the new. This is both cost- and timesaving for your organization.
Another bonus is that, the old, traditional cabinets came with lengthy, complicated diagrams—sometimes topping 100 pages worth. The new cabinet less systems reduce those schematics down to about 25 because much of the wiring complexity is eliminated when switching to cabinet less.
Today’s manufacturers are offering full systems to eliminate cabinets, something previously out of reach. This simplifies everything for the end user, driving down the various panel requirements for differing pieces of equipment within the facility—one standard solution can do it all. The future of equipment is looking simpler, more affordable, and less time consuming, thanks to the elimination of the cabinet.
Source: Nathan Hibbs, Beckhoff
To learn more about MHI’s Conveyor and Sortation Solutions Industry Group: www.mhi.org/css
For more articles and podcasts about Conveyors and Sortation:
Understanding the Motors in Your Equipment
Combining Sortation with Robots
Using Simulation and Digital Twins to Increase Productivity and Quality and Reduce Cost
Purchasing Conveyors With Sustainability In Mind
Using Conveyors for Loading and Unloading Trucks & Containers
Podcast: CSS – HOW TO AUTOMATE FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T AUTOMATED
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