Many people with expertise in manufacturing or industrial settings are well aware that space is at a premium. Not only does this hurt your efficiency when it comes to finding places to put new equipment or just handle basic floor traffic, you need to both work with the space you have as well as find a way to stay compliant with regulation, while also pondering your own needs. Combining all these issues together can be a lot to handle. So, whether you’re finding space for a lid press machine in Denver or just want more openings for foot traffic, here are some of the options on the table.
One good place you want to start with when it comes to dealing with areas like control panels and finding the space for them is making sure that you are able to maximize what you do have before shuffling things around. For example, it’s well known that the space between the enclosure door and components mounted on the sub-panel give an added 3D space. Make sure that you are buying into products that use that space, as you can save as much as 40% of the space for each subpanel by doing so. This can be a major boon to your facility if you extrapolate that across several different panels.
What also bears mentioning in terms of being a space saver is making sure that you take the time to look at the corners. Inside a panel, these layouts can actually do a lot to save space. There are some products that fit right in, like a wiring duct that is made to fit specifically in corners. By doing this, you can create a transition from the sub-panels in the rear to the side, which means a smaller enclosure footprint as well as less space on the subpanels themselves.
Another surprising tool that may work to your benefit is making sure that you use noise mitigation products. Now, this may not technically be designed to save space, but have a nice side effect, as they bring together wiring separated by air space. This creates an EMI barrier that can free up space for other things. If your wiring ducts include a metal noise barrier, then the layout can get even more compact.
Thermal management items also fulfill a similar role. To save space, you can put together several active heat generating devices that are close to each other, then move them into an even more compact enclosure. However, if you go too far, this may actually present issues with heat dissipation. Find a balance that is safe and efficient.