Custom Industrial Control Panels

In complex industrial environments, custom control panels give you precise control over machinery and processes that allow you to meet exacting industry standards and reliably conduct operations. Since they can be tailored to your specific requirements and integrated into your existing systems, they help you increase quality and efficiency while saving you money on upgrade costs.

At Conrad Kacsik, we help companies across industries get the custom industrial control panels they need at a budget they can afford. Our process starts with listening. Our experienced engineers with decades of experience work to understand what you need out of your control panel, including any compliance requirements you need to hit. We then install your control panels, integrate them with your equipment and train your team to use them effectively.

If you’re interested in working with us, contact us today.

Understanding Industrial Control Panel Design

Industrial control panels act as the central hub for managing and automating all different kinds of operations, from heat treatment to wastewater management and much more. Since they have different use cases across industries, the requirements and design of any control panel are going to vary depending on your specific needs.

In general, you install an industrial control panel to do one or more of the following:

Process Control: Industrial control panels can ensure processes like heating, mixing, material handling, etc. are carried out according to predefined parameters.
Monitoring & Feedback: Industrial control panels can help you easily monitor various operational parameters, such as temperature, pressure and flow rates. You can use this data to adjust operations in real time, ensuring that all processes stay within the desired operating conditions.
Automation: Industrial control panels can be set up with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that allow you to automate complex processes. This can reduce the need for manual intervention, leading to increased efficiency and reduced human error.

Control Panel Applications

Since control panels can be customized for a wide variety of equipment, they are used differently depending on the company and industry. Here are a few examples:

Manufacturing: Controlling production lines, robotic systems and assembly operations.
Aerospace and Automotive: Managing complex processes in heat treating, machining and assembly.
Pharmaceuticals: Ensuring precision and compliance in batch processing and packaging.
Energy and Utilities: Monitoring and controlling power generation, distribution and renewable energy systems.
Food and Beverage: Automating processing, packaging and quality control operations.

Types of Industrial Control Panel Components

At its core, control panels consist of electrical components all housed within an enclosure that protects them. These electrical components will vary depending on the application and can be integrated into existing equipment and infrastructure. Below, we’ve outlined some of those components that can be used alone or in conjunction with one another to achieve your organization’s goals:

PLCs: PLCs execute control logic based on inputs from sensors and commands to actuators, making them ideal for industrial automation.
Human-Machine Interface (HMI): This is a computer with software that visually displays important information for monitoring and controlling operations. At Conrad Kacsik, we recommend using the SpecView HMI, which can also house “recipes” that help with process control and automation.
Sensors: Sensors are critical components that provide real-time data about the process being controlled. They monitor variables such as temperature, pressure, flow and position, sending signals back to the PLC for processing.
Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs): VFDs control the speed and torque of electric motors by varying the frequency and voltage supplied to the motor. They are essential for applications requiring adjustable motor speeds, such as HVAC systems, pumps and conveyors.
Disconnect Switches: Disconnect switches provide a means to completely isolate the control panel from its power source for maintenance or emergency shutdowns. This ensures the safety of personnel working on the panel.
Motor Starters: Motor starters are used to safely start and stop motors, providing protection against overloads. They can include contactors, overload relays and sometimes soft starters for gradual motor acceleration.

Upgrading Control Panels for Industry Compliance

In industries where regulatory standards like AMS2750 and Nadcap are critical, maintaining compliant and up-to-date control panels is essential. As technology and regulations evolve, older control panels may no longer meet the stringent requirements needed to ensure safety, quality and efficiency in your operations.

This doesn’t always require a bunch of new components or even a new control panel. At Conrad Kacsik, we retrofit existing control panels to bring them up to current industry standards.

Comprehensive Industrial Control Panel Design & Installation

Our engineers are true partners. We work with our clients to solve problems and back our work with ongoing support and unparalleled customer service. We know the compliance standards you must meet and will help you achieve them. Our custom industrial control panels are developed to meet a range of specifications and standards like AMS2750, Nadcap, CQI-9 and CFR-21.

We provide comprehensive control system design services, including:

Specification development
Control system design
Programming
Computer-aided design
Control and electrical drawings/schematics/prints
System installation

Optimize your controls by going custom. Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive design services, including control system design.

Can PLCs, HMIs, SCADA and data acquisition be integrated into one furnace control system?

Yes. A custom control panel can bring PLCs, HMIs, sensors and other components together in a single system built around your furnace. The PLC runs the control logic based on sensor inputs, while the HMI shows operators what's happening and lets them make adjustments. Conrad Kacsik recommends the SpecView HMI, which can also store recipes. Adding SCADA extends the panel's monitoring into full data acquisition and reporting. Conrad Kacsik engineers handle the design, programming and installation, then integrate the panel with your existing equipment.

What is a custom industrial control panel?

A custom industrial control panel is a central hub, built to your requirements, for managing and automating operations from heat treatment to wastewater management. It handles process control, monitoring and feedback, and automation through PLCs. Because it's tailored to your needs and integrated into your existing systems, it helps raise quality and efficiency while controlling upgrade costs. Conrad Kacsik builds custom panels to meet standards like AMS2750, Nadcap, CQI-9 and CFR-21.

What components go into an industrial control panel?

A control panel houses its electrical components in a protective enclosure. Common components include PLCs, which execute control logic, and an HMI, which displays information for monitoring and control. Sensors feed real-time data on temperature, pressure, flow and position back to the PLC. Variable frequency drives (VFDs) control motor speed and torque, disconnect switches isolate the panel from power for maintenance or emergency shutdowns, and motor starters start and stop motors with overload protection.

What does Conrad Kacsik's control system design service include?

The service covers specification development, control system design, programming, computer-aided design, control and electrical drawings, schematics and prints, and system installation. The process starts with listening to what you need from your panel, including any compliance requirements. Conrad Kacsik then installs the panel, integrates it with your equipment and trains your team to use it effectively.

Which industries use custom control panels?

Custom control panels serve manufacturing, aerospace and automotive, pharmaceuticals, energy and utilities, and food and beverage. Manufacturers use them for production lines, robotic systems and assembly operations. Aerospace and automotive companies rely on them for heat treating, machining and assembly. Pharmaceutical producers use them for batch processing and packaging, and food and beverage companies use them for processing, packaging and quality control.