Solution Control Systems

🔧⚡ Equipment Nameplates – Tech Tuesday ⚡🔧

Today’s topic is something we see on virtually every piece of custom electrical equipment — the equipment nameplate.

Even though electrical standards specify minimum nameplate and marking requirements, in the real world you’ll find all kinds of nameplates — different materials, sizes, layouts, and significantly different levels of information.

Depending on the equipment, applicable standard, certification, and inspection process, the nameplate requirements can also be interpreted and enforced differently. Some shop listings and inspection processes have very specific nameplate criteria, while others leave considerably more flexibility.

The photos below show a few examples of equipment nameplates with quite a bit of variation in the information provided.

- What do you think about the nameplate development process?
- Should electrical equipment nameplates be more standardized?
- What information do you consider essential?
- Should nameplates include only the minimum required information, or is more detail beneficial for the end user and future maintenance?
- What differences have you seen between manufacturers, standards, and inspection authorities?

Share your experience in the comments. I’m interested to see what others in the industry are doing.

⚡🔧 DC Circuits Through Series Contacts – Tech Tuesday 🔧⚡

Do you know why DC loads are sometimes powered through multiple contacts wired in series, even when each individual contact is already rated for the required voltage and current?

The images show real-world examples where DC coils for large contactors are controlled through multiple contacts of control relays (pilot contactors) wired in series.

🤔 Why use multiple contacts instead of just one?
⚡ What happens when the contacts open and interrupt a DC load?
🔧 What advantages do multiple contacts in series provide?

👉 Let’s discuss the advantages of this design and why you may see it used in heavy-duty DC control applications.

📩 [email protected]
📞 780-485-9944
🌐 www.solutioncontrols.ca

Rethinking Push-To-Test Pilot Lights on Tech Tuesday💡
As you know push to test lights are required when you could prove the light functionary by pressing the button.

Push-to-test operators get the job done, but they come with real trade-offs:
❌ Higher component costs per light
❌ Complex door wiring (running separate power and routing through dedicated NO/NC contacts)
❌ Time-consuming testing—operators have to press every single light individually

We streamlined this process by designing and building an 8-channel DIN-rail mounted Lamp Test Module.

With this compact solution:
✅ Power is centralized—run a single power line to the module and land your light outputs.
✅ Test all panel lights instantly using a single, remote master pushbutton.
✅ Troubleshoot faster with onboard diagnostic LEDs right on the DIN rail. It reduces panel build time, cleans up wire trunking to the door, and lowers total hardware costs.

Have a custom control panel challenge or looking to optimize your enclosure layout? Let’s connect and talk through your application.

📩 [email protected]
📞 780-485-9944
🌐 www.solutioncontrols.ca

🔧⚡ Wire Staging Station on Tech Tuesday! ⚡🔧
Sometimes, the simple shop-fabricated solutions using readily available materials work best for certain tasks!

We spotted this cool wire staging station put together by one of our team members to segregate and stage wires that are ready for the wireman.

There are quite a few benefits to this simple setup:
🔧 Made from readily available consumable materials
⚡ Easy to assemble
📈 Expandable to accommodate many more wires
🛡️ Excellent wire protection
⚙️ Adjustable to suit different heights

Simple idea, practical solution, and a great way to keep wires organized, protected, and ready for assembly.

💡 What unique solutions have you come up with in your facility to simplify assembly, improve your process, or make a certain task easier? Share your ideas in the comments — we'd love to see what others are doing on their shop floors!

📩 [email protected]
📞 780-485-9944
🌐 www.solutioncontrols.ca

🔧⚡ Slits Between Cable Entry Holes – Tech Tuesday ⚡🔧

We’re working on a large generator package and noticed something interesting on the gland plate. There are slits between the holes where all the DLO cables pass through the gland plate before entering the termination box.

🤔 Do you know why these slits are there?

⚡ What problem are they helping to prevent?
🔧 And what are the other alternatives that could be used to solve the same problem?

If you’ve worked with high-current single-conductor cables, generator terminations, or gland plates, we’d like to hear your thoughts. Leave your comments below and let’s discuss!

📩 [email protected]
📞 780-485-9944
🌐 www.solutioncontrols.ca