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Electrical Wiring for Automation Controls

veins and arteries for electronic controls

If Programmable Logic Controllers are the brains of an automated control panel, and power sources are the heart, then electrical wiring would be the veins and arteries. And no matter the size of a project here at Electronic Control Corporation, we use tons of it. The need for scaling as we employ larger projects as well as multiple projects, while still maintaining the highest quality demands an automated high-volume widget capable of keeping our operations in optimal health as we flex to meet growing customer demands.

The Komax Kappa 320 for Automated Cutting and Stripping of Wires

Komax Kappa 320 - Electrical Wiring - ECC-Automation

The Kappa 320 Automated Cut and Strip Machine by Komax

ECC-Automation has procured the flexible, ultra-fast Komax Kappa 320 cut and strip wiring machine. This cutting and stripping machine offers the latest in high-range processing, and quick set-up for simple to harder electrical wiring materials. The controls are user-friendly and provide for great flexibility, allowing the operator to set-up job runs in no time.

A quick look at some features we like:

Electrical Wiring Sizes

This fully automated cut and strip machine we use for our electronic control panels allows for wire sizes from 0.05mm to 10mm2.

Inkjet marking

From Komax provided TopWin software, wiring can be custom-marked. This provides a tremendous advantage for electronic controller projects that require any unique identification on the wiring of a control panel.

komax-kappa-320-cut-strip-ecc-automation-usa

Intuitive touch screen and software

TopTouch and TopWin, respectively, for seamless machine communications

Sensors like the optical cable detector

For quick job setup and significant reduction of material loss from cutting by early detection of stripping errors

As part of ECC-Automation commitment to producing state-of-the-art electronic controls, we continue to invest in equipment and operational assets that yield the quality and durability, regardless of the volume required. Our recent procurement of this cutting edge cut and strip wiring machine is now an integral part of keeping our operations running smoothly at an optimal level.

If you would like to learn more our approach to designing and manufacturing electronic control panels, including our wiring capabilities, give us a call today.

ecc-automation facility USA

New Control Panel Design and Manufacturing Facility for ECC Automation

ecc-automation facility USA

ECC-Automation’s new facility in Westminster, MD USA

Electronic Control Corp has now expanded into a larger control panel design and manufacturing facility, located in Westminster, Maryland USA. The company relocated to accommodate increasing demands of existing and future design project and manufacturing production requirements. All design, engineering, fabrication and quality testing of their electronic control panels & components now happens here. Once the completed electronic control systems are approved, they are shipped out of the new location to the project site for installation.

 

New equipment for electronic control design & manufacturing

As part of their commitment to the highest standards for electronic control manufacturing, Electronic Control Corporation continues to invest in modern technology and equipment. For example, building high quality electronic controls requires an unfathomable amount of wiring. Assuring a control panel is built with speed and volume, while maintain the highest quality requires a wiring machine to meet the demand. So ECC recently procured a brand new Komax Kappa 320 Cut and Strip machine to use in their new manufacturing space. The Kappa 320 cuts to length and strips the ends with extreme precision. This Cadillac of a cut and strip machine automatically ink-labels the wiring as well – for specific identification requirements of a project.

“Our Komax wiring machine gives us peace of mind knowing that every wire is stripped perfectly and is always the correct length. Production time goes down and quality goes up because issues like conductor strands being nicked, or a wire being cut too short are issues of the past.” ~Bradley Keck, Communications Engineer

Other areas of the facility include offices with the latest computer systems and software for designing electronic control systems, as well as developing the logic for programmable logic controllers.

Electronic Control Corp manufactures every system to exceed expectations

ECC Automation engineers work closely with clients to make sure their design fulfills every requirement, prior to product assembly. Once assembled, every control panel undergoes extensive quality control evaluation and testing procedures. Their goal: provide the highest quality electronic control systems to exceed expectations – 100+% customer satisfaction. As part of this goal, they have now expanded into a new control panel design and manufacturing facility. The growing company has procured state-of-the-art equipment and technology, continuing to offer the best automation control systems. Learn more here at ecc-automation.com and contact Electronic Control Corp today, so they can hear more about your automation control challenges.

Electronic Control Duplex Switches

Technology is Transforming Duplex Control Panels

Duplex control panels are invaluable to facility managers. An intelligently configured duplex control panel can greatly expedite the management of multiple systems, from air-conditioning, heating, and refrigeration to plumbing and electric. They can alert the team at critical times such as when tanks are empty, tanks have been filled, fuel levels are low, or wastewater is high. Recently, cutting edge technology has changed the way that Electronic Control Corporation develops and builds duplex control panels today.

Alleviating the Pains of Older Duplex Control Panel Systems

Previously, in older systems, duplex control panels would require a lot of human interface, which translates into both more manual oversight and higher labor costs. Factoring in these elements, issues in the system could take longer to identify. This means more downtime for facilities and more time spent on fixing a problem, rather than operating the building. In addition, finding a solution to the problem could become timely and costly since, in some cases, highly skilled wiring logic could be necessary.

After hearing clients’ needs and recognizing a demand to make the process more efficient, Electronic Control Corporation began developing and testing a way to modernize duplex control systems. Now, duplex control panels can be manufactured with user-­friendly touchscreens and alarm systems, as well as other time­ and­ money saving capabilities.

NASA Updates Their System

In fact, NASA recently put ECC’s duplex control panels to the test at one of their facilities. ECC was hired by NASA to update and modernize a 15-year-­old wastewater and sewage pump system. The result was control panels that created more efficiencies and required overall less energy as it monitors and manages pumps throughout the building.

Running two 11 horsepower pumps, the duplex control panels contain elegantly designed current switchers and alternators. Phase monitoring is fed by dual power feeds, which is important for critical operations. If a fault is detected on a pump, the system is designed to automatically switch over to another pump. Likewise, it is important to have built-in redundancies to keep systems at optimal operating capacity. ECC ensured the NASA building included redundancies using two control circuits housed within the same panel, so that if one stops for any reason, the second control circuit kicks in seamlessly and pumps still function.

When to Update Aging Duplex Control Panels

Most manufacturing plants that have a system between 10­-15 years old are now recognizing a need for more modern duplex control systems. Systems this old or older tend to be outdated, have more downtime, and can be more difficult to operate. Building engineers and managers are now taking advantage of how ECC has modernized the development and operation of duplex controls.

For more information about building or updating a duplex control panel for your building, contact ECC today.

ECC Honeywell Controls

Touchscreen Control Panels: Changing the Way Facilities Run 


Duplex control panels have come a long way from the first iterations installed in buildings. Though many control stations can be custom tailored for nearly any application, some time­ and ­cost saving features like alarm systems and touchscreens are accelerating control panels into the future.

A Multitude of Benefits

Previously, facilities may have incurred high labor costs, as there was significant manual work. Now, that’s all changing. 
One of the biggest feature changes of the duplex control panels is the addition of the touchscreen. Touchscreens offer a multitude of benefits to the facility manager, such as offering a much more streamlined way to manage multiple processes and offering helpful email alerts for building maintenance reminders.

For example, the innovative touchscreen design aids building engineers to efficiently determine the reason why a pump may not have come on, thus enabling the engineers to troubleshoot quickly just by looking at the touchscreen interface.

Less Space

Engineers, along with other maintenance team members, appreciate that the touchscreen control panel takes up significantly less space. It is approximately half the size of a 
traditional control panel. The new and sleek design is a clean, user-friendly look, which eliminates a lot of unnecessary push buttons and lights.

See touchscreen control panels in a HVAC Supervisory Control system.

One of the most exciting features with the newly designed touchscreen duplex control panel is that when a building engineer or facility manager wants to add a new control or system alert, it is a seamless process to add on a function later, after the system has been installed. With older systems, adding capabilities like this would be a more significant undertaking. An additional benefit is that with the new systems, adding functionality can even be done remotely by ECC over the internet using remote login capabilities. Because the system can be used wirelessly, systems can be controlled in different rooms and can even be remotely monitored through BACnet, Modbus/Modbus TCP or IP.

Touchscreen Control Panels & Outdoor Usage

The one downside of most touchscreen control panels is when it comes to the outdoors. While the touchscreen panel is not recommended for direct sunlight use and should be kept away from water or moisture, ECC does has the capabilities to design and offer additional casing for those facilities that desire the advantages of the touchscreen, but need to use the system outside.

ECC is proud to be able to respond to our clients’ desires for more streamlined and innovative tools that help cut costs; the touchscreen duplex control panel is just our latest!

If you would like more information about touchscreen control panels, contact Electronic Control Corporation and we will be happy to answer all of your questions.