Top Industrial Electrical Products for Reliable Manufacturing Power Distribution

Efficient manufacturing operations depend on a robust industrial electrical system to safely deliver power. GRL has prepared this guide to cover the basic products that make up a reliable power distribution system for industrial facilities, including transformers, switchgear, motor controllers, surge protection devices, standby generators, and safety mechanisms.

Following proper design, installation, and maintenance guidelines ensures these industrial electrical components continue supplying optimized uptime and process continuity for the long term. Contact us for more.

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Power Distribution

Industrial facilities require complex electrical infrastructure to provide sufficient power where needed:

Service and feeds – High-capacity service feeds connect the utility supply to the plant with medium voltage lines and large ampacity cables rated for the load.
Main disconnects – Enclosed switches isolate the main service feed and distribute to downstream equipment like switchgear and panels. Allow lockout/tagout.
Transformers – Step down utility voltage to distribution levels like 480V 3-phase. Dry-type transformers avoid flammable coolants.
Switchgear – Metal-enclosed gear with drawout breakers distributes and protects large feeder circuits.
Busway – Enclosed bus bars carry high amps to substations around facilities. Tap boxes allow connections.

Proper sizing, ratings, redundancy and preventive maintenance of distribution equipment ensures reliable uptime.

Motor Controls

Motors power manufacturing processes, requiring intelligent controls:

Manual motor starters – Toggle switches directly turn motors on/off with overload protection. Used for smaller motors up to 10 hp.
Motor control centers – Centralized panels house combination motor starters to control larger motors. Include disconnects, starters, overload relays, and pilot devices.
Variable frequency drives – Adjust motor speed by modulating input frequency. Used for operation flexibility and energy savings.

Well-coordinated, commissioned motor controls allow efficient management of motors driving pumps, compressors, conveyors, and other electromechanical processes.

Circuit Protection

Overcurrent protection is critical to prevent damage throughout industrial facilities:

Fuses – Enclosed fuses isolate and de-energize individual circuits up to 600V when overcurrents occur. Facilitate quick replacement.
Molded case circuit breakers – Hydraulically tripped breakers provide adjustable overcurrent protection. Trip times and amp ratings tailored to loads.
Safety switches – Disconnect switches isolate equipment for maintenance yet allow circuits to stay energized. Lockout/tagout enables.

UL-rated components sized according to the National Electrical Code help prevent fires, equipment damage, and power outages.

Wiring and Conduit

Industrial facilities use durable wiring systems:

Rigid metal conduit – Thick steel conduit protects wires and allows maintenance of conductors. Provides EMI/RFI shielding.
Cable bus – Pre-fabricated bus bar trunking distributes power to equipment drops. Simplifies changes.
Cable tray – Runs of ladder-like trays neatly route large groups of cables over long spans. Easy to modify.
THHN and XHHW wire – Dual-rated individual conductors withstand moisture, heat and strain in conduit runs.

Careful installation by qualified electricians ensures clean, maintainable, code-compliant wiring able to handle industrial loads.

Lighting

Visibility and safety depends on well-designed lighting:

LED high bay fixtures – LED high bays save energy and have long life in warehouses and production areas.
Emergency egress lighting – Backup lighting on separate circuits illuminates exit pathways in a power outage.
Daylight harvesting – Photocells and dimmers reduce artificial light when sufficient daylight exists.

Adequate illumination for tasks, aisles, and exits helps improve working conditions and safety.

Monitoring and Control

Automated control systems maximize uptime and throughput:

PLCs – Programmable logic controllers coordinate sensors, processes, motion, valves and responses facility-wide.
Sensors – Provide feedback to control systems about temperature, pressure, flow, levels, current, voltage. Detect issues.
HMIs – Human-machine interface terminals display system statuses and allow monitoring and control adjustments.

Intelligent automation and analytics achieve precision process control with optimal energy efficiency.

Safety

Safety mechanisms prevent electrical hazards:

Guards and barriers – Enclose moving parts and prevent contact with energized equipment. Interlocks shut off power when opened.
NFPA 70E requirements – Standards include hazard analysis, arc flash calculations, PPE, safe work practices.
Grounding – Components must be properly grounded to shunt current in case of shorts and reduce EMI.

A layered defense-in-depth approach combines engineering controls, policies, training and vigilance for maximum safety.

What are the most common industrial electrical products?

Industrial facilities contain a vast array of electrical equipment for power distribution, control, protection, and monitoring. Some of the most essential electrical products found in manufacturing plants include:

Circuit breakers – Molded case and insulated case circuit breakers protect branch circuits and feeders from overloads and faults. Rated up to 600V.
Disconnect switches – Enclosed switches manually isolate equipment for maintenance while keeping other circuits energized. Enable lockout/tagout.
Switchgear – Metal enclosed assemblies with drawout breakers distribute and control large power feeds.
Transformers – Step-down transformers convert utility voltage to utilization levels like 480V. Dry type transformers avoid flammable coolant.
Variable frequency drives – VFDs control the speed of motors by modulating input AC frequency and voltage. Allow optimizing motor operation.
Conduit – Rigid metal conduit with THHN wires distributes power. Provides protection and facilitates maintenance.
Motor controls – Motor starters, overload relays, pilot devices like switches/lights. Manual or in motor control centers.
Control panels – Enclosures house control circuit components like PLCs, relays, terminals to automate processes.
HMIs – Human-machine interface terminals displays statuses and allow monitoring and control adjustments.
Lighting – LED high bays illuminate work areas. Emergency egress lighting provides orderly exit in an outage.
Safety mechanisms – Guards, e-stops, interlocks protect from hazards. Grounding and bonding shunt wayward currents.
Power monitoring – Power meters track usage patterns and anomalies. Software aggregates data for analysis.

What types of industrial controls are used?

Manufacturing processes depend on industrial controls for automated monitoring and operation:

PLCs – Programmable logic controllers function as the central brains coordinating sensors, conditions, outputs, valves, motor drives and responses facility-wide. Versatile, reliable, and highly programmable.
Motor controls – Starters, overload relays, VFDs, and pilot devices allow intelligent control of motor functions like timing, speed, cycling.
Sensors – Provide feedback to control systems about temperature, pressure, flow, current, voltage and many other parameters via 4-20mA, 0-10VDC signals. Detect out of range conditions.
Process controllers – Control devices like flow controllers, pressure controllers, and temperature controllers continuously maintain process variables at setpoints.
Relays & contactors – Electromechanical relays and contactors actuate equipment, provide isolation, implement interlocks for safety.
Timers – Time delay relays, drum sequencers and solid state timers introduce pauses, durations and sequences into processes.
Actuators – Transform control signals into mechanical motion to position valves, dampers and other final control elements.
Safety PLCs – Specialized safety PLCs manage e-stop circuits, safety interlocks, fail states, validation before enabling dangerous motion.
Indicators – Pilot lights, text displays, and graphical interfaces signal statuses locally at equipment.

Industrial controls allow facilities to automate processes for productivity, repeatability, efficiency and quality control.

How is power distributed in an industrial facility?

Power flows through industrial facilities via:

Main service – High capacity feeders supply abundant power to the building’s main distribution gear. Medium voltage is common.
Main disconnect – A large enclosed switch acts as the central shutoff point for the entire facility’s power. Allows LOTO.
Transformers – Step down power from distribution voltages like 4160V to utilization voltage levels like 480V 3-phase.
Switchgear – Metal-clad switchgear with drawout breakers distribute and control large feeder circuits throughout the plant.
Panelboards – Located in areas like production lines and offices, panelboards divide power to branch circuits with smaller breakers.
Busway – Enclosed bus bars carry hundreds of amps to electrical rooms and production areas where tap boxes allow connections.
Conduit – Rigid metal conduit distributes power from panelboards to machines and equipment.
Receptacles – Outlets provide plug-in points for portable equipment. GFCI protection used where required.

Coordinated power distribution gear sized for present and future loads ensures ample power gets delivered reliably throughout facilities.

What are the key components of an industrial electrical system?

The main components that make up a robust industrial electrical system include:

Power Distribution

Main service equipment and feeders
Primary switchgear, automatic transfer switches
Step-down transformers
Low-voltage switchgear, switchboards
Panelboards, busway

Controls and Motors

Motor control centers
Adjustable speed drives like VFDs
PLCs and process controllers
HMIs and software

Circuit Protection and Disconnects

Medium voltage fuses and breakers
Molded case circuit breakers
Safety switches and disconnects

Wiring and Conduit

Rigid metal conduit
Tray cable
THHN or XHHW wire

Lighting

LED fixtures
Emergency lighting

Monitoring and Safety

Power meters
Relays, sensors
Guarding and barriers
Grounding and bonding

Careful specification of industrial-grade electrical components provides the reliable uptime and protection demanded in manufacturing facilities.

What are the different types of industrial breaker panels?

Industrial facilities use several specialized circuit breaker panel types:

Switchgear – Metal-enclosed lineup with drawout breakers for large feeders. Trip units tailored to loads.
Switchboards – Enclosed assembly with fixed or drawout breakers. Available up to 600A/6000A.
Motor control centers – Centralized panels housing motor branch breakers, starters, and controls.
Panelboards – Wall-mounted panels with up to 600V rated branch circuit breakers for lights, receptacles and smaller equipment.
Busway – Prefabricated bus bars with plug-in breaker units designed for frequent reconfiguration.
Enclosed breakers – Individual enclosed breakers commonly used as main disconnects and for large equipment.
Fusible switches – Enclosed switches integrate fuses for combined protection and disconnection.

Choosing the appropriate breaker panel types and designing coordination between them ensures reliable and safe power distribution tailored to the industrial facility.

How are motors controlled in industrial environments?

Industrial electric motors are controlled in several ways:

Motor starters – Magnetic motor starters allow remote on/off control and overload protection. Common for larger motors.
Motor control centers – Centralized cabinets house motor starters and allow control of many motors from one location.
Variable frequency drives – VFDs control motor speed and torque by modulating input AC frequency and voltage. Provides precision control and energy savings.
Disconnects – Enclosed switches manually isolate motors for maintenance while keeping other equipment running.
Smart motor controllers – Advanced controllers have communications, data logging, alarms and automation capabilities using networks like IoT.
Reduced voltage starters – Gradually ramp up voltage to motor on startup to reduce inrush current. Used for very large motors.
Protection relays – Overload, ground fault, and phase loss relays protect motors and disconnect them when issues occur.
Soft starters – Smoothly ramp up current on startup to reduce mechanical stress vs across the line starting. For belted motors.

Properly sized and controlled motors with condition monitoring optimizes industrial production and efficiency.

What conduit is used for industrial electrical wiring?

Industrial facilities commonly use thick rigid metal conduit for durability and maintenance benefits:

Rigid metal conduit – Thick steel RMC protects wires from physical damage. Provides EMI/RFI shielding.
Electrical metallic tubing (EMT) – Thinner steel conduit can be used on less stringent branch circuits. Cannot be directly embedded.
Intermediate metal conduit (IMC) – Similar to RMC but lighter weight for easier handling and cutting. Threaded connections.
Wireways – Long sheet metal wireways group multiple conduit runs into one larger pathway. Allow easy wire pulls.
Cable tray – Long ladder-like cable trays neatly route large groups of cables point-to-point overhead.
Flex conduit – Short lengths of flexible metal conduit can connect equipment subject to vibration, movement or frequent relocation.

Rigid metal conduit with THHN wires allows industrial-grade protection and facilitates maintenance within conduit systems.