Designers often use the catch-all term “best design practices” to indicate choices and processes that optimize manufacturing outcomes. The term is nebulous but applies to cost, documentation, and performance. While safety gets mixed into performance and reliability, for reasons of liability, it requires a more formal treatment than amorphous best design practices.
One shining example is that of industrial control panels responsible for operating and safeguarding equipment running at approximately 100 kW/sq.ft. of floor space. For industrial equipment built by a contract manufacturer that doesn’t have the proper certifications and experience with power, it’s difficult to verify if it conforms to safety specifications. Designers must work with a CM that builds equipment with the UL 508A panel shop requirements to avoid complications during safety inspections or preventable injuries.
Does my UL 508A-certified enclosure require a door?
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What Are UL 508A Panel Shop Requirements?
Before manufacturing can begin, the panel must first meet UL 508A standards at the design level. Here are some of the requirements necessary to achieve UL 508A certification:
- Components – Critical components require traceability, i.e., from “listed” or “recognized” sources with proper certification.
- Circuit protection – The design must have the necessary circuit protection to prevent panel users from the possibility of electrical shock with normal usage.
- Labeling and identification – Conductors and components must contain standardized labeling for easy identification.
- Spacing – The panel must have specified electrical spacing for safety purposes.
- Regional electrical codes – The panel must comply with these codes.
These are just some requirements that must be designed into the panel to make it UL 508A compliant. After confirmation that the panel design is UL 508A compliant, it is up to the certified contract manufacturer to build the product according to the design specifications. To complete the process, the CM will host follow-up inspections with certified auditors to verify that the panel manufacturing complies with the standard. Therefore, any panels carrying UL 508A certification indicate an indirect seal of approval from the agency.
The Value of UL 508A Certification
To be certified, a contract manufacturer must be trained in the UL standard and maintain that certification annually. With a UL 508A certification, the CM can build industrial control panel equipment that will include the enclosures and sub-panels of the system. It also extends to control circuits, such as overload relays, circuit breakers, selector switches, indicator lights, and push buttons. Along with that are all associated terminals and wiring that connect within the product.
Having a UL mark on a product is a valuable thing. It indicates the panel adheres to exacting UL standards, which helps build customers’ confidence by demonstrating robust and safe design principles. Furthermore, the standardizing effect will support technicians and operators with an industry-accepted format – customers will know that the layout of the panels’ wires and how they are cut and connected proceed according to a controlled cabling method.
Your CM Has a Panel of Certified Engineers At The Ready
Working with a certified UL 508A panel shop offers the best-produced panel possible, but that’s not all. A certified CM also knows how to navigate the UL verification process, often performing extra work before a UL audit, such as preparing a detailed inspection documentation package to assist the auditors. With a well-prepared inspection package, the UL compliance testing will proceed smoothly and quickly, which can be a boon for products operating on a tight time-to-market schedule.
At VSE, we’ve been building toward UL standards and working with UL auditors for a long time. We know what information they need, and we make sure that both the panel we’ve built and the associated documentation are ready when it is time for the certification audit. Our documentation process includes creating illustrations that pinpoint specific panel details to help the UL auditors find and inspect the parts they are looking for. Details like this are all part of what we do to ensure that your industrial control panels meet the highest standards and will pass their UL certification without issue.
