Control Panel Accessories

Control panel accessories by job

TPE supplies push buttons, LED indicators, terminal blocks, DIN rail meters, busbar supports, MCB busbars, neutral links, fans, heaters, thermostats, window hoods, locks and hinges. We also make custom accessories at our Kolkata works. Send a line-wise list with makes and sizes.

Panel accessories are the parts that turn an empty enclosure into a working panel. They let people operate it, carry and join the wiring, keep it cool and dry, and keep it shut.

Use the table to find the group of control panel accessories you need and the details to send.

Push buttons and indicators

Most industrial push buttons and LED indicators fit a 22 mm hole. Check the hole size on the door before you order a replacement.

Agree the colour scheme with your consultant. Machinery panels often follow IEC 60204-1, where an emergency stop is a red actuator on a yellow background and green is not used for stop.

For LED indicators, give the supply voltage, AC or DC, and the colour. See push buttons and accessories and LED panel indicators for the full list of options.

Terminals, busbars and neutral links

Pick terminal blocks by the largest wire they must take and the current they carry. Add end plates, end stops and markers to the order, as they are easy to forget.

For rail mounted terminal blocks, state screw or spring clamp and the rail type.

• MCB busbars: match the pin or fork type and the pole pitch to the MCB series, and give the number of ways. See MCB busbars.
• Busbar supports: give the busbar size, the system voltage and the fixing thread. See busbar support insulators.
• Neutral links: give the number of ways, the current and the cable sizes.

Panel cooling, heating and condensation

Drives, power supplies and contactor coils heat a panel from inside. Too much heat shortens component life and can cause nuisance trips.

A common rule sizes the fan at sea level. Airflow in m3/h = 3.1 x heat load in watts / allowed temperature rise in K. Fit the fan low and the outlet filter high, so cool air enters at the bottom.

When a panel is idle in damp weather, condensation can form inside. A panel heater with a thermostat keeps it a few degrees above the room and stops water forming on live parts.

• Fans and filters: airflow, supply voltage, cut-out size and IP rating. See panel cooling fans and filters.
• Thermostats: normally closed for heaters, normally open for fans, and the set range.
• Window hoods: the size of the meter or device they protect.

Locks, hinges and other door panel accessories

Send a photo of the old lock and the door edge. State the lock type, such as quarter-turn, T-handle or key lock, and the key type.

For hinges, give the door thickness, weight and whether the hinge is weld-on or bolt-on.

Meters and indicators on DIN rail

DIN rail meters suit distribution boards and small panels where there is no room for a door cut-out. They show voltage, current, energy or several values at once.

Give the parameters you need, the CT ratio, the auxiliary supply and any Modbus or pulse output. For three-phase loads, say whether the system has a neutral.

Replacing panel accessories on a running panel

Most service calls for panel accessories are like-for-like swaps. A part that looks the same can still differ in hole size, voltage or contact block.

Send these details so the spare fits first time.

• Photo of the old part, its label and how it is mounted.
• Maker and part number, if readable.
• Supply voltage for lamps, fans, heaters and meters.
• Contact arrangement for push buttons and switches.
• Cut-out or rail size, and the quantity of spares you want to keep in stock.

Ordering panel board accessories in one list

Panel board accessories are small parts, but a missing one can hold up a whole panel. Put them on one line-wise list grouped by panel, with makes, part numbers and quantities.

Mark which lines must match an existing make and which can take an equal. Price, availability and dispatch are confirmed per line in the quotation.

If you are building the whole board, see electrical panels and control systems for panels built at our works.