Whether installing a new system, upgrading or adding new capabilities, control system engineers and integrators must select and design enclosures to house components and operator interfaces. Before enclosures can be populated and wired, they must often be modified by drilling and cutting to mount components. Modifications have traditionally been done either manually in-house or by automated systems at the enclosure manufacturer.

The manual, in-house approach means hours measuring, marking and drilling/cutting enclosures and back panels by hand, using basic drills and jigsaws. Most marking and measuring consists of placing the physical components, marking their locations, removing them for drilling/tapping and finally, placing the components again for final mounting. To ensure consistent and professional results, extra precaution must be taken, adding time to the process.

To learn more about enclosures, read “Here are better ways to customize enclosures” from Control.