Control cabinet manufacturing
to UL508A

Whether control cabinets, power cabinets, junction boxes, operator panels, or electronic assemblies – we’re your holistic electrical partner. We offer series production and custom builds, from material procurement and mechanical processing to assembly, wiring, and system testing.

How our control cabinet team supports you

Electrical control cabinets, i.e., switchgear systems, are the core component for operating electrical machines or systems. In a control cabinet, PLC components as well as switching and control components are interconnected. It ensures reliable and safe operation of machines and systems.

We offer control cabinet manufacturing as an electrical engineering service. It starts with the development and design of a switchgear system and ends with the on-schedule wiring of the control cabinet.

We manufacture single cabinets, cabinet lineups, control desks, and terminal boxes in compliance with the standards and regulations for control cabinet manufacturing. On request, we also build and test your cabinet to the international UL 508A standard.

We handle both manufacturing and engineering (project manufacturing). Alternatively, we also manufacture control cabinets based on engineering already completed or with materials supplied by the customer (customer manufacturing).

Control cabinet production

Material procurement

You choose: Either we take care of sourcing your components, or you provide all or part of the material.

Mechanical processing

All our control cabinet enclosures and mounting plates are machined in our milling center.

Pre-assembly & equipping

During pre-assembly, the control cabinet is equipped and prepared for electrical wiring.

Wiring and labeling

The control cabinet is wired and labeled according to the circuit diagram – and, if required by the customer, also with individual wire marking.

Measurement and testing

After production, the control cabinets are measured and tested in accordance with the relevant standards.

Additional services

Cable assembly

Assembly of cable harnesses and system cables.

Assembly/
electrical installation

Assembly, wiring, and installation of electromechanical assemblies, devices, modules, and machine frames. Complete machine installation.

How can we help you?

Manfred Hirt
Head of Automation / Authorized Signatory
Pfullendorf

Stefan Besendorf
Head of Testing Technology / Procurist
Haßfurt

UL testing and certification

UL certification to UL 508A is a standard defined by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) for the electrical wiring of industrial control systems. The certification is pursued by electricians and engineers to ensure their circuits and controls comply with safety standards and regulations.

As an internationally active automation technology company, we not only design and test our own control cabinets to the American UL 508A standard. We also offer assessment and electrical design of all types of switchgear systems as a service. Development and production are carried out by our in-house experts.

Benefits of UL508A certification

Safety

The UL508A standard provides assurance, especially in environments where the risk of electrical faults and fires is higher.

Legal certainty

In some countries, UL certification is part of regulatory requirements.

Competitive advantage

The certification shows that safety and quality are guaranteed – a clear competitive advantage.

High-performance control cabinets with copper busbars

On request, we use high-quality copper busbars when building your control cabinet. They offer several advantages:

Power distribution: Copper busbars distribute electrical current safely and efficiently and make it possible to connect multiple components to a shared power source.
Space savings: Compared to individual cables, copper busbars reduce space requirements and make wiring and installation of electrical components easier.
Heat dissipation: Copper busbars have good thermal conductivity, which helps regulate and dissipate heat effectively.
Flexibility and expandability: Copper busbars enable flexible modifications to the control cabinet without extensive rewiring.
Safety: Copper busbars reduce the risk of electrical faults.

Our process chain in control cabinet manufacturing

Requirements analysis and planning

We capture the requirements and specifications for the control cabinet (e.g., required number and type of components, protection classes, space requirements) and create a project plan.

Design

Our engineering team creates circuit diagrams and mechanical layouts for the control cabinet based on customer needs.

Component selection

We select suitable electrical components (e.g., contactors, fuses, relays, switches, terminals). We also decide on suitable control cabinet enclosures and mounting plates.

Documentation and handover

We create documentation for the control cabinet, including the circuit diagram, bill of materials, operating instructions, and maintenance instructions. We then hand over the finished control cabinet to you.

Mechanical preparation

We prepare the control cabinet enclosure (e.g., drilling holes for components, mounting plates, ventilation, etc.), install the mounting plates and other mechanical components in or on the control cabinet.

Testing and quality assurance

We carry out functional tests and continuity tests to ensure all components are properly wired. We also check protective measures and safety devices.

Wiring

We wire all electrical components according to the circuit diagram and install cables, wires, and cable ducts. This is followed by connection to the relevant terminals and connection points.

Equipping the control cabinet

Then the required electrical components and parts (e.g., switching and control devices) are installed in the control cabinet.

Fully automated milling with maximum precision

With our Perforex milling center, we modify components for almost all compact and large control cabinets. Plates and cabinets can be clamped into the machine to carry out a wide range of machining operations.

Based on CNC data, Perforex mills custom openings and cutouts fully automatically into mounting plates, which are then assembled into the control cabinet. This allows cables and connections to display or operating elements to be routed through the openings.

The fully automated milling process saves valuable time and has a much lower error rate than manual processing. This enables us to deliver control cabinets of outstanding quality and precision.

Interdisciplinary Quality in These Sectors

FOOD INDUSTRY

PHARMA

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY

CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY

ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY

AVIATION

SHIPBUILDING

METAL INDUSTRY

SOLAR INDUSTRY

SAWMILL & WOOD INDUSTRY

We’re thinking ahead and investing in our electrical apprentices

Apprentice project:
"From circuit diagram to finished switchgear"

With the “Apprentice Control Cabinet” project, SPIE AUTOMATION specifically promotes the technical skills of its apprentices (electronics technician for industrial engineering) in Pfullendorf. The apprentices receive the enclosure, circuit diagram, and bill of materials for a cabinet and are allowed to assemble, wire, and label it independently. Finally, an expert checks the cabinet once more and corrects it if necessary. It was a “real” control cabinet, meaning our apprentices can ultimately be proud to know that their work now provides real added value for a customer.

Get started - with SPIE AUTOMATION by your side!

Get in touch with us by phone or email. We’ll provide a no-obligation consultation and together we can lay the groundwork for your project.