Talk to a controls engineer about your panel or automation project[email protected]
Why we do this
Automation is only as good as the panel behind it.
A control panel should be easy to understand, safe to work on, and built exactly as drawn. We design, build, install, and support every panel with one US-based team, so nothing gets lost between the drawing and startup.
Quality
Built to be opened
Wire-numbered, ferruled, labeled, and torqued to spec. Every I/O point is tested on our floor before the panel ships, so first power-up on your site is a formality, not a troubleshooting session.
Accuracy
Drawings that match the panel
One I/O list drives the schematics, the build, and the PLC tags. As-builts are updated after commissioning, so the drawings in the door pocket show what's actually inside.
US-based
Engineers you can reach
Design, panel build, and field support all come from a US-based team working US hours, with engineering offices in Clearwater, Florida. When you reach out, you get the people who drew and wired your panel.
No surprises at startup.
The only thing that should be exciting on startup day is how smoothly it goes.
Open the door. Smile.
Wiring so clean and clearly labeled, your maintenance team will actually want to open the panel.
Find it in the shop, not on the floor.
Every panel and program is tested before it leaves, so problems get fixed where it’s cheap.
New controls. Old friends.
New systems that talk to the PLCs, networks, and equipment you already rely on.
How we deliver
01
Design
Schematics, panel layout, BOM, and an SCCR calculation drawn to UL 508A, then reviewed with you before anything is ordered.
Every point is traceable from the drawing to the terminal to the tag.
02
Build
Built on our own shop floor: wire-numbered, ferruled, and labeled to the drawings, with a calculated SCCR on the nameplate.
Illustrative backplate. SCCR depends on your available fault current.
03
Install · Integrate
We set the panel, land field wiring, and commission it with your PLCs, drives, robots, and safety systems, on a new line or one that's already running.
Ring topology: one cable cut doesn't stop the system.
04
PLC · SCADA · HMI
Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or Ignition, matched to what your maintenance team already supports and stocks.
// Skid 2 · lead / lag pump control// LeadIsP201 : BOOL := TRUE (P201 lead)
P201_Ok := P201.Avail AND NOT P201.Fault;
P202_Ok := P202.Avail AND NOT P202.Fault;
// Demand with hysteresis (Start > Stop)IF LT201.PV >= SP.Start THEN
Demand := TRUE;
ELSIF LT201.PV <= SP.Stop THEN
Demand := FALSE;
END_IF;
IF NOT Demand THEN
P201.Run := FALSE;
P202.Run := FALSE;
ELSIF LeadIsP201 THEN
P201.Run := P201_Ok;
P202.Run := P202_Ok AND NOT P201_Ok; // lagELSE
P202.Run := P202_Ok;
P201.Run := P201_Ok AND NOT P202_Ok; // lagEND_IF;
Alm.P201_Flt := P201.Fault; // HMI + SCADA
Alm.P202_Flt := P202.Fault;
Alm.NoPumpAvail := Demand AND NOT P201_Ok
AND NOT P202_Ok;
One tag name from PLC to HMI to SCADA alarm journal.
05
Industrial IoT
IO-Link sensors and managed networks that tell you why a machine stopped, not just that it did.
Diagnostics that point maintenance at the right sensor.
06
Support
Design, build, install, integrate: one accountable US-based team from the first drawing to SAT sign-off, and the same people you call afterward.
Wire-numbered, ferruled, and labeled to the drawings, so an electrician can trace a fault at 3 a.m. without calling us.
Inside the work · 02
Machines & robot cells
Robot controllers, drives, safety devices, and the line PLC tied together with clean handshakes, so a fault on either side says exactly why it stopped.
Inside the work · 03
SCADA & HMI
Alarms that name the machine, the device, and the cause, plus trends that supervisors use to fix the worst problem first.
Inside the work · 04
Running facilities & retrofits
Plants, DCs, and utilities that can't stop for long: obsolete PLCs and relay logic replaced in planned windows, with a spares list and documentation your maintenance team can actually use.
How we work
FAT checklist · Panel CP-201
✓Every I/O point rung out against the I/O list
✓E-stop chain and safety relay tested
✓VFD comms up, parameters loaded
✓Nameplate SCCR matches the calc
01 · Before it ships
Fewer field changes.
The I/O list, drawings, and BOM are checked against your mechanical layout before a hole is cut. Then the panel is powered up on our floor and tested point by point, with you on site or on a video call.
Design review against your mechanical layout, P&IDs, and device schedule
FAT with simulated I/O, so most code bugs are found before install, not during it
Punch list closed and signed before the panel leaves the shop
Active alarms · Line 2
PKG_L02_CELL1_Gate_OpenRobot cell 1 gate open · cell stopped
PKG_L02_SKID_LT201_HiTank level high · inlet valve closed
02 · One standard
One tag set. One alarm philosophy.
PLC tags, HMI screens, and Ignition share one naming standard (area, line, zone, device, signal). An alarm on the floor HMI reads the same in SCADA and in the maintenance log, so nobody has to translate.
Alarms name the machine, the device, and the likely cause
Priorities defined up front: stop the line, slow the line, or just tell someone
Tag database exported with the I/O list for your records
Planned cutover · example
Fri 22:00Last shift ends, line locked out
Sat 06:00Old panel out, pre-wired panel set
Sat 18:00Field I/O checked point to point
Sun 10:00Dry run, then product at rate
Mon 05:00First production shift · rollback plan on standby
03 · Around your schedule
Cutovers planned around your production.
Retrofits go in during weekends, holiday shutdowns, or planned outages with a written cutover plan: pre-wired panels, labeled field cables, a step-by-step checkout, and a way back to the old system if something goes wrong.
Field cables tagged and photographed before demolition
Temporary jumpers and a phased switchover where one weekend isn't enough
On-site support planned through the first production shift
Late I/O changes, mixed Rockwell and Siemens sites, UL 508A paperwork, and a shutdown window that ends when production restarts. We plan the project around these conditions instead of discovering them at startup.
Trying to hit go-live while the I/O map is still movingAnother budget cut, same UL508A and SCCR expectationsJuggling panel shops and programmers who blame each otherZero visibility into what the equipment is actually doingPressure to justify controls spend with a clean design packagePanels that don’t match the drawings in the door pocket
◆ We get it. And we’ve got it covered.
UL 508A panels · wire-numbered, ferruled, SCCR on the nameplateMachine safety · e-stops, light curtains, safety PLCsLine-side control stations & HMIsIgnition overviews: equipment status, alarms, trendsPackaging lines · filler to case packer
Retrofits & upgrades
Retrofits & PLC upgrades
Keep the equipment that still works and replace the controls that don’t. We move older PLCs, HMIs, networks, and panels to current, supported hardware, with the same design, build, and integration care as a new panel.
Legacy PLC migrations
Allen-Bradley PLC-5, SLC 500, and MicroLogix moved to ControlLogix or CompactLogix; Siemens S5 and S7-300/400 moved to S7-1500; Modicon and other end-of-life platforms moved to a current, supported controller. The logic is converted and cleaned up, not just copied, so the new program is easier to read and maintain.
I/O and field wiring
Where it makes sense we reuse existing field wiring with conversion or swing-arm style kits and pre-wired harnesses, so less gets rewired and the line is down for less time.
HMI & SCADA upgrades
Older operator panels such as PanelView Standard replaced with current HMIs, with refreshed graphics and alarm text that names the device and the cause, plus SCADA updates where you need plant-wide visibility.
Network modernization
Legacy networks like DH+, Remote I/O, DeviceNet, and Profibus moved to EtherNet/IP or PROFINET. That means standard Ethernet hardware, better diagnostics, and a network your team and IT can actually support.
Drives, safety & panel updates
Obsolete drives replaced, safety circuits brought up to current practice, and panels updated to current UL 508A and NFPA 79 expectations, with a calculated SCCR on the nameplate.
Planned cutover
Staged or phased changeovers scheduled around your production, with testing before startup and drawings, I/O lists, and program backups updated to match what’s installed.
Why upgrade: parts availability, vendor support, cybersecurity, diagnostics, and lower downtime risk.
UL 508A control, monitoring, and auxiliary distribution panels that run and watch over critical power equipment, integrated with the listed switchgear, ATS, UPS, and battery systems on site.
Transfer & generator controls
Transfer control and status panels built around a listed ATS or switchgear, plus generator start, load add, and load shed signals.
Control power & distribution
Fused or breaker distribution for controls and auxiliaries, control power transformers, redundant 24 VDC supplies, and surge protection, with SCCR calculated and marked on the nameplate.
EPMS, BMS & cooling
Monitoring and gateway panels that feed your EPMS, BMS, or DCIM, plus PLC and VFD controls for cooling equipment.
Battery & UPS integration
Control and monitoring panels that interface with the battery management system (BMS) of a listed battery or energy storage system, bringing state, alarms, and trips into your PLC or SCADA.
This is the sequence we follow on every panel and integration project, whether it's a single machine panel or a full line. Each step ends with something you can review, so problems show up on paper or on our test bench instead of on your floor.
01
Kickoff & I/O list
Typically 1–2 weeks
We walk the site or review the mechanical layout and P&IDs, then confirm voltage, available fault current, PLC platform, network, and any SCADA, MES, or WMS interfaces. The I/O list is built device by device.
You get: I/O list, scope and assumptions, schedule with long-lead items flagged.
02
Design & drawings
Typically 2–4 weeks
Schematics and panel layout in EPLAN or AutoCAD Electrical, an SCCR calculation, a network and IP plan, and a BOM. You review and approve before anything is ordered.
You get: approval drawing set, BOM, SCCR calc, network drawing.
03
Panel build & programming
Typically 3–6 weeks
A UL 508A build that is wire-numbered, ferruled, and labeled to the drawings. PLC and HMI programming run in parallel against the approved I/O list.
You get: build photos and a program draft to review.
04
FAT
Typically 1–3 days
The panel is powered up in our shop. Every I/O point is rung out, the e-stop and safety functions are tested, VFD comms and parameters are loaded, and HMI screens are walked through with your team.
You get: signed FAT checklist, with the punch list closed before it ships.
05
Install & integrate
Days to weeks, by scope
We set panels, land field wiring on labeled terminals, check each field device point to point, and connect to your existing PLCs, SCADA, robots, and safety systems. Cutover on running equipment is scheduled around your production.
You get: a written cutover plan with rollback steps.
06
SAT & commissioning
Typically 2–5 days on site
We dry-run without product, then run at increasing rates while tuning sequences, loops, and handshakes until the system holds its target rate or cycle time. Then we train operators and maintenance.
You get: signed SAT, and operators who have run the system.
07
Closeout & support
Ongoing
As-built drawings, final program backups, and a spare parts list. Remote or phone support follows your site's access rules.
You get: the closeout package listed below.
Durations are typical for a mid-size panel and integration package. Approvals, long-lead drives, and site access move them in either direction.
Specifics, not slogans
Numbers we design to, and what you get at closeout
These are typical ranges across the panels and systems we build. They aren't guarantees: your site's fault current, process, and environment set the real values. Use them to sanity-check a spec or compare bids.
Typical design values
What goes on the drawings
Incoming power
480Y/277 VAC 3-phase is most common in U.S. plants and DCs. 208/240 V and 600 V (Canada) on request.
Control power
24 VDC, sized with roughly 20–30% headroom, with a separately fused supply for field devices so a shorted sensor doesn't drop the PLC.
SCCR
Calculated per UL 508A Supplement SB and marked on the nameplate. Panels fed from DC switchgear often need 35–65 kA at 480 V.
I/O per drop
16–64 points per remote I/O drop is common, with about 20% spare left for changes.
Timing
PLC scan, I/O update, and network timing are sized to the fastest event on the machine, such as a high-speed reject, a servo move, or a sorter divert.
Network
EtherNet/IP or PROFINET on managed switches, with a DLR or MRP ring where a single cable fault can't be allowed to stop production.
Enclosure
NEMA 12 for indoor industrial areas, 4X stainless for washdown or outdoor sites. Cooling is sized from a heat-load calculation, not a guess.
Closeout package
What you receive
✓Electrical drawings in EPLAN or AutoCAD Electrical: schematics, panel layout, terminal plans. Native files plus PDF.
✓I/O list with tag name, address, device, and terminal for every point
✓Network drawing & IP plan covering switches, VLANs, and device addresses
✓BOM with manufacturer part numbers and a recommended spares list
✓SCCR calculation and nameplate data
✓Signed FAT and SAT checklists
✓Program backups for the PLC, HMI, drives, and SCADA, commented and version-labeled
✓As-built drawings updated after commissioning, not just the approval set
✓Alarm list & fault recovery notes for operators and maintenance
Platforms we build with
Industrial vendors & software we build with
The PLC, HMI, SCADA, sensing, and panel hardware we program and build with every week. We recommend the platform that matches your installed base and spares shelf, because a system your techs already know how to troubleshoot comes back up faster.
Each card is a scope we regularly quote: what the work involves, why plants and facilities buy it, and the kind of job we’ve done on it. Pick the one closest to your problem and we’ll talk through scope, timeline, and whether we’re the right fit.
Do you need a UL508A listed control panel?
A listed panel with a calculated short-circuit current rating (SCCR) on the nameplate and labeling that matches the drawings. Inspectors and insurers look for that label; having it avoids field evaluations, red tags, and delayed energization.
Typical scope: UL 508A listed panels with calculated SCCR — main panels and remote I/O for machines and lines.
We tie the robot controller to the line PLC: part-present and place-complete handshakes, zone interlocks, and safety-rated fencing or scanners. Done right, the robot never starves or floods the next station, and a fault on either side tells the other exactly why it stopped.
Typical scope: Robot-to-line PLC handshakes, zone interlocks, and cell safety on packaging and assembly equipment.
Do you need SCADA integration (Ignition / plant visibility)?
An Ignition layer over your PLCs: line overview, an alarm journal with real fault causes, historian trends, and downtime and fault counts by machine. Supervisors fix the machine that is actually losing output, and maintenance gets a fault history instead of a shift-change story.
Typical scope: Ignition overviews, alarm journals, and historian tags for plant and warehouse floors.
PLC logic and drives for zero-pressure accumulation, merges, diverts, and VFD speed matching. The payoff is steady carton flow at rate, fewer jams, fewer people posted just to clear them, and code your techs can read.
Typical scope: PLC and VFD controls for accumulation, transfers, and packaging infeeds — new builds and retrofits.
Do you need safety system upgrades (e-stop, light curtains, SIL/PL)?
E-stop circuits, Keyence and Banner safety light curtains, Keyence safety laser scanners, and safety relays or safety PLCs laid out to the Performance Level (ISO 13849) your risk assessment calls for. Zoned stops and proper muting keep people protected without a nuisance trip shutting down the whole line.
Typical scope: E-stop chains, light curtains, and safety relays or safety PLCs laid out to the required PL or SIL.
Do you need warehouse / shipping & distribution line automation?
Outbound sortation, divert, and dock-door sequencing tied to your WMS. This is where warehouse and distribution automation pays back: fewer mis-sorts, less manual re-handling, and trucks loaded on time at peak.
Typical scope: Outbound, sortation, and dock sequencing with WMS interfaces and supervisor HMIs.
PLC handshakes between case conveyors, layer formers, and the palletizer or sorter, plus divert logic that keeps lanes balanced. The pallet cell isn't starved by upstream jams, and the sorter holds rate on peak days.
Typical scope: Palletizer and sorter handshakes, lane balancing, and cell safety integration.
Do you need vision, IO-Link, or HMI operator stations?
Keyence vision for label, barcode, and orientation checks, IO-Link sensors that report diagnostics instead of just on/off, and HMI stations where the work happens. Faults get caught before a mis-ship leaves the dock, and techs see which sensor failed instead of hunting for it.
Typical scope: Vision OK/NG into PLC reject logic, IO-Link sensing, and line-side operator HMIs.
Pick an enclosure rating, PLC, HMI, and VFDs, rough in your I/O counts, and see an illustrative layout and parts list. Your first quote then reflects your actual device mix instead of a guess.
Four questions: project type, PLC platform, UL 508A need, and timeline. You get an honest read on whether we’re the right team for it, and your answers carry into the contact form so you don’t type them twice.
What kind of project is it?
PLC / controls preference?
Do you need a UL508A listed industrial control panel?
Manufacturing, packaging, food and beverage, warehousing and distribution, water and wastewater, process, pharma, building systems, and data centers. Same panel and integration craft across all of them.
Plants & OEMs
Manufacturing, packaging & food
Machine and line panels, washdown builds, robot cells, and end-of-line packaging — new equipment or upgrades to what’s already on the floor.
Data security for your PLC, HMI, and SCADA network
A common starting point: the PLCs share a flat network with office PCs, an HMI has TeamViewer installed for vendor support, and the only copy of the current program lives on a laptop. We fix that as part of the controls scope. We segment the controls network from IT, lock down remote access, harden PLCs and HMIs, and keep versioned backups you can restore in the middle of the night. The design follows IEC 62443 zones and conduits and maps to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, so it holds up when your IT team, insurer, or a customer audit asks how the line is protected.
Why it matters on a plant floor or DC
Downtime
The cost is a stopped line
A locked PLC or an encrypted SCADA server stops production, not just a screen. How long you're down depends on whether you have a clean, current backup and a network you can trust.
Ransomware
Flat networks let it spread
If HMIs and engineering PCs sit on the same network as email laptops, malware that lands on one can reach the others. Segmentation keeps an incident inside one zone.
Audits & insurance
Someone will ask
Cyber insurance renewals and customer supplier audits now ask about OT segmentation, MFA on remote access, and offline backups. A drawing and an SOP on file answer those questions in one email.
Frameworks
IEC 62443 & NIST CSF
We map the work to IEC 62443 zones, conduits, and security levels and to NIST CSF 2.0 functions, so your IT security team can review it in terms they already use.
What we do on a controls project
Zones & conduits: controls separated from IT
We divide the site into zones (each line or PLC cell, SCADA servers, engineering workstations, IT) and define the allowed paths between them. That means managed industrial switches (Stratix, Scalance, or equivalent) with VLANs, plus an industrial firewall at the IT/OT boundary (Stratix 5950, Scalance S, a rugged Fortinet-class unit, or your IT standard) with a default-deny rule set.
Why: a compromised office PC can't reach a PLC, and a broadcast storm on one line doesn't take down the next.
Secure remote access
No port-forwarding to HMIs and no TeamViewer or AnyDesk on operator panels. Vendor and integrator access goes through a VPN gateway or remote-access appliance with MFA. Sessions land on a jump host in the DMZ, are switched on by your site for a set time window, and are logged.
Why: exposed remote-desktop tools are a common way into OT networks. You still get fast remote support; you just decide when it's on and can see what was done.
PLC & HMI hardening
Logix key switches left in RUN where the process allows, which blocks remote mode changes and downloads. Rockwell CIP Security and FactoryTalk Security, or Siemens S7-1200/1500 access levels and know-how protection, where the hardware supports them. Default passwords removed, unused services, web servers, and switch ports disabled, and HMI runtimes locked down so operators can't drop to the desktop.
Why: accidental or unauthorized downloads and edits get much harder, without slowing down techs who have the right role.
Asset inventory & versioned backups
We list every PLC, HMI, drive, switch, and server with model, firmware, IP address, and location. PLC, HMI, and drive programs go under version control with change notes (FactoryTalk AssetCentre, octoplant, or a well-run Git repository), with a copy kept offsite.
Why: when a controller fails or logic changes overnight, you can see what changed and who changed it, then roll back to a known-good version instead of hunting for a laptop.
Patching & firmware that respects uptime
We check vendor security advisories (Rockwell, Siemens ProductCERT, CISA ICS advisories) against your inventory and rank them by exposure. Firmware and OS updates are scheduled into planned maintenance windows, tested on a bench or spare controller first, with a rollback image ready.
Why: patching OT on the IT schedule breaks lines, and never patching leaves known holes open. A ranked plan closes the important ones without unplanned downtime.
SCADA / Ignition hardening
Ignition gateways on TLS with a proper certificate and the gateway config pages kept off the plant-floor network. Role-based users and security zones, the audit log turned on, sign-in through Active Directory or SSO (LDAP, SAML, or OIDC), and scheduled gateway backups. We apply the same principles to FactoryTalk View SE and WinCC.
Why: operators get the screens they need, only engineers can change tags or projects, and every write is traceable to a named user.
Data integrity for WMS / MES / SCADA flows
Plant data leaves the controls zone through a DMZ, using a read-only historian replica or data broker that business systems read from, so WMS or ERP never talks straight to the PLCs. We use MQTT (Sparkplug B) or OPC UA with certificate-based authentication and encryption. Writes from the WMS, such as divert assignments, go through one defined and validated interface.
Why: sort decisions and ship counts depend on that data. One defined path is easier to secure, monitor, and troubleshoot than a dozen ad-hoc connections.
Recovery you've actually tested
We write a recovery runbook covering which backup restores which device, in what order, and on what firmware. Then we prove it during FAT/SAT or a scheduled outage by loading a controller from backup and bringing a SCADA server up from its image.
Why: a backup nobody has restored is a guess. A tested runbook shortens an outage and takes the guesswork out of a bad night.
Deliverables
What you get, on paper
✓Network architecture drawing: zones, conduits, VLANs, IP plan, and where every firewall and remote-access point sits
✓Firewall rule set: every allowed flow with source, destination, port, and the reason it exists
✓Remote access SOP: who approves access, how sessions start, how they're logged, and how they close
✓Backup & recovery plan: what's backed up, where, how often, and the tested restore steps
✓User / role matrix: who can view, operate, edit, and download on each PLC, HMI, and SCADA system
✓Asset inventory: devices, firmware revisions, and open advisories, ready to hand to IT or an auditor
Quick self-check
Which of these are true at your site today?
Check what's in place to see where you stand.
We're a controls integrator, not a managed security provider. We design and build these protections into your automation system and work with your IT and security team on the boundary. Alignment with IEC 62443 and NIST CSF describes how we design; it is not a certification.
Reference pages we wrote for the people who scope, buy, and maintain these systems. Use them to tighten an RFQ, check a panel spec against a bid, or get a tech unstuck in Studio 5000 or Ignition.
Ready to upgrade from equipment that’s barely getting by?
If your controls are hanging on with hard-to-find parts, quick fixes, and a program only one person understands, it may be time. Send us what you’re running today and we’ll quote an upgrade that’s built to last.
Barely getting byAfter the upgrade
Obsolete PLCs and hard-to-find spare partsCurrent, supported hardware
Quick fixes holding things togetherProper mounting, wiring, and labeling
A program only one person understandsClean code, as-built drawings, and backups
Unplanned downtimeBetter diagnostics and a planned cutover
Proper brackets, secured cables, clean labeling, and drawings that match what’s installed. It’s the small details that make equipment easier to run, troubleshoot, and maintain, and we build every project that way.
✓Devices mounted on proper hardware, not improvised
Ready to scope your control panel or automation project?
Email [email protected] for a quick fit check, or send drawings, an I/O list, or photos of the existing panel through the form. An engineer reads it and replies, usually within one business day, with questions or a budgetary next step.
