Pfullendorf, March 18, 2024 – Each control cabinet is designed individually. The design engineer specifies the dimensions, materials and components needed to build the cabinet. After approval by the client, we procure the required material, e.g., enclosures, rails, wiring, fuses, switches and other electrical components.
Equipped with circuit diagrams and bills of materials, training manager Manuel Schuler introduces the ESCAD apprentices to the first steps in building a control cabinet: “Our apprentices should be able to do as much as possible themselves. Because only those who try things out can make mistakes, and only those who make mistakes will learn from them and get better.”
Based on the bill of materials, trainer Manuel selected a suitable control cabinet for the apprentices. It starts with cutting and assembly. The enclosure parts of the control cabinet are cut to size and assembled. This includes drilling and milling holes and cut-outs for switches and sockets, as well as fitting mounting plates and rails for the electrical components.
Once the enclosure parts are assembled, the electrical components are wired and cabled. This includes connecting switches, sockets, fuses, relays, controllers and other components. Cable holders are also installed. All components and cables are labeled – with wrap-around labels and single-core wire markers. The power supplies are also connected (incoming supply + 24 V), voltage regulators bridged, and fuses, batteries and grounding connected. Throughout all steps, training manager Manuel is always on hand for his apprentices – to teach new things correctly from the outset and answer any questions that arise.
After the control cabinet is wired, all electrical connections are tested to ensure they function properly. This includes checking voltage, current and continuity of the connections. Once all tests are completed and the control cabinet is working properly, it is finished and packaged for delivery to the customer.
Training manager Manuel Schuler is pleased with his protégés: “They did a great job on the project. They were already trained on the circuit diagram. It listed wire cross-sections from 0.5 mm² to 16 mm², so the apprentices were able to assemble different cross-sections. Complete cables were included as well. That caused a bit of confusion. But I’m still extremely happy with the result.”
And the two apprentices training to become electronics technicians for industrial engineering, Yunus and Liam, also took away a lot. “Working with my fellow apprentice worked out great,” says Yunus. “I learned a lot of new things about power supplies. But I enjoyed wiring the control cabinet the most.” Liam feels the same. Above all, he was able to improve many small details in his workflows. “I think day-to-day work will give me even more routine, e.g., when assembling cables. I personally enjoyed the project part where we assembled the cabinets and did the mechanical work the most.”
