Panel Builder Blog

2010: new ideas, your opinion ?

January 28th, 2010 | Make a comment | Posted in Your needs ? You want to contribute ?

For 2010, I’d like to continue to make this place more visible, invite more of you to share their point of view on my blog, keeping the focus on technical and business exchanges around panel building profession.

To support this development, I am considering different ideas :

1/ create a limited space opened to advertizing (limited size, on the side)

2/ open a possibility to “donate” (anybody who finds this blog interesting can give any amount, and I would in return add the logo of these donors on a dedicated page of the blog)

As this place is also yours, just quickly add a comment to say if yes or no you are OK with these ideas, or any other suggestion

DAN

Clearly limited in size (on the side) to keep the focus on panel building exchanges

You wish to write an article in this Blog

December 17th, 2009 | 1 Comment | Posted in Your needs ? You want to contribute ?

Very simple:

describe the topic you wish to write about, as a comment of this article
I will exchange by mail with you to prepare the publication

DAN

IEC 61439 : frequently asked questions (part 4)

November 25th, 2009 | Make a comment | Posted in Electrical Standards
Tags: assemblies, low voltage, standard, switchgear

Answer to a question asked by Joy in another post, which I copied here :

“Does the new standard , require the panel builder to supply only ,the same branded circuit breakers ,which were used on the type tested assembly in their client panels ?

Is so , doesn’t it limit the available options for the panel builder as he will be restricted with only one brand of circuit breakers for all his future projects?” Read the rest of this entry »

Training courses for panel builders: what, where?

November 17th, 2009 | 10 Comments | Posted in Training
Tags: skills, Training courses

Do you know a lot of existing trainings dedicated to panel builders?
Heard about a “panel builder university” somewhere worldwide?

I don’t !!

Read below the point of view and experience of Denis LAUDREN, who has been involved in panel building for many years, and who develops and animates today some training courses dedicated to panel builders.
DAN

Read the rest of this entry »

New IEC 61439: what impacts for you today?

October 26th, 2009 | Make a comment | Posted in Electrical Standards
Tags: assemblies, low voltage, standard, switchgear

The articles I already wrote about the new IEC61439-2 standard for LV switchboards are among the most visited parts of my blog. But I still wonder what are the practical impacts of this new standard for you, in your country, and today? Read the rest of this entry »

Panel builder business software: buy an existing erp package or develop your own solution?

October 23rd, 2009 | 5 Comments | Posted in Business and Market, Software
Tags: business software, erp, panel builder software

Mr Gilles FRADIN, manager of ITEC, panel builder in France, explains how they came to the decision of developing their own business software (erp) rather than choosing an existing business software package on the market. And also shares the status of their project and the expected benefits …

We are more than interested in hearing your own experiences in this domain (for example, do you know a business software package available on the market which is really adapted to panel builder needs?), so don’t hesitate to comment or share your own experience by proposing your own testimony.

Read the rest of this entry »

Busbar sizing: FORMULA, THUMB RULE, TABLE ?

September 29th, 2009 | 20 Comments | Posted in Busbar
Tags: busbar calculation, busbar design

I’ve seen a number of “thumb rules” examples on CR4 forum :
“0.6 amps per sq mm in case of Aluminium and 1.25 amps per sq.mm for Copper”
” for Aluminum 0.8 amps for sq.mm, for copper is 1.25 Amps per sq.mm”
“0.6Amp/mm2 is fine for Alu, 1 Amp/mm2 is fine for OFHC Copper”

There are also some general dimensioning tables like the ones given by Copper Development Association.

Do you use such formulas or tables ? Which ones ? When and how do you use them ?

Add comments to share your point of view !

How to optimize copper stock and copper drops?

August 28th, 2009 | Make a comment | Posted in Busbar, Manufacturing
Tags: Busbar, copper price, copper stock

copper storage example

Practical tips to optimize copper stock, reduce copper drop, and win time during projects…

Don’t hesitate to share your own ideas about copper or busbar optimization as comments.

With today high copper price, it’s worth sharing ideas!

Dan

Read the rest of this entry »

IEC 61439 : frequently asked questions (part 3)

July 27th, 2009 | 2 Comments | Posted in Electrical Standards
Tags: assemblies, low voltage, standard, switchgear

Here are simple answers to 3 other questions about the new IEC standard : Read the rest of this entry »

Copper busbar: choose the right shape to reduce cost!

July 21st, 2009 | 4 Comments | Posted in Busbar
Tags: Busbar, busbar ampacity, busbar design, busbar price

One basic material used in the switchboard is the copper busbar. I currently think that no innovation has been made on the busbar design, as the majority of the use is still remaining flat copper bar. Read the rest of this entry »

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