Electric & Control Panel Designing
Every automated system runs through a panel. Learn to design the layout, size the busbars, wire it correctly the first time, and commission it safely — the skill set that sits behind every PLC, drive and DCS installation.
A panel is where the drawing becomes something you can touch.
An electric or control panel houses the switches, fuses, relays, circuit breakers, PLCs and terminal blocks that keep a machine or process running safely. Behind every automated line — no matter how advanced the PLC logic or SCADA screen — there's a panel someone had to design, build, wire and test correctly.
Panel design starts on paper: a General Arrangement (GA) drawing with a matching Process & Instrumentation (P&I) reference, laid out in AutoCAD or EPLAN before a single component is mounted. From there it becomes a physical build — enclosure selection, busbar sizing, component layout, wiring, ferruling and labeling — followed by testing and sign-off documentation.
It's a discipline that sits between electrical engineering and hands-on trade skill: you need to read a schematic accurately, size components to the actual load, and then build it so it survives years on a factory floor without a fault.
What's Inside a Panel
Six stages, from a blank drawing to a signed-off panel.
The same sequence used on live client panel-building projects.
GA & Schematic Design
Layout drawing and control schematic in AutoCAD or EPLAN.
Enclosure & Busbar Selection
Sizing the enclosure, IP rating and busbar/short-circuit rating for the load.
Component Mounting
Fixing breakers, contactors, relays and terminals per the GA drawing.
Wiring & Ferruling
Power and control wiring, correctly sized, labeled and ferruled end to end.
Testing & Loop Checking
Continuity, insulation resistance and functional loop tests before energizing.
Documentation & Handover
As-built drawings, test certificates and client sign-off.
Four panel types you'll be expected to design and build.
Motor Control Centre
Houses multiple motor starters and protection devices for a group of motors in one plant area.
Power Control Centre
Distributes and protects incoming power supply to downstream panels like MCCs.
Automatic Power Factor Correction
Switches capacitor banks in and out to keep a plant's power factor within utility limits.
Auto Mains Failure
Automatically transfers load to a standby generator when mains power fails.
The rating on the enclosure tells you where it can actually be installed.
| Rating | Protects Against | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| IP20 | Fingers & tools; no dust or water protection | Indoor panels inside a clean electrical room |
| IP54 | Dust-protected; splashing water from any direction | General indoor industrial panels |
| IP55 | Dust-protected; low-pressure water jets | Indoor panels in washdown-adjacent areas |
| IP65 | Dust-tight; water jets from any direction | Outdoor panels & wet process areas |
| IP66 | Dust-tight; powerful water jets | Heavy washdown, marine & harsh outdoor environments |
Ten topics, from wiring fundamentals to live panel troubleshooting.
Fundamentals of Electric & Control Drawing Wiring
Reading and producing schematics correctly before touching a panel.
Introduction to IP — Ingress Protection (NEMA)
Choosing the right enclosure rating for the installation environment.
GA Arrangement Diagram with P&I
Turning a process reference into a physical panel layout.
Wiring & Preparation of Power & Control Circuits
Correct wire sizing, routing and preparation practices.
General Arrangement of Components Wiring
Component placement for serviceability, safety and heat dissipation.
Switchgear & Heavy Electric Practices
Working safely with breakers, contactors and higher-current devices.
Troubleshooting in Electric & Control Live Panels
Diagnosing faults on an energized panel without introducing new risk.
Selection of Enclosure Types per Ambient
Matching IP rating and material to temperature, dust and moisture conditions.
MCC / PCC / APFC / AMF / Control — PLC + Drive
Building each panel type correctly for its specific job.
End-to-End Termination, Cabling & Junction Box Wiring
Ferruling, labeling and termination practices that survive years in the field.
The design tools and hardware you'll actually work with.
A panel that isn't safe to work on isn't a finished panel.
Arc-Flash Awareness
Understanding arc-flash risk and the mitigation choices that go into panel design — clearances, barriers and labeling — before a panel is ever energized.
Lockout-Tagout Practice
Correct isolation procedure before any live work, and safe re-energization once testing is complete.
What to expect before you enroll.
| Mode of Learning | Offline, workshop or company/plant-floor sessions — panel building is best learned hands-on |
| Offline Centres | Ahmedabad · Surat · Baroda · Rajkot |
| Eligibility | 10th/12th/ITI (Electrician/Wireman), Diploma, B.E./B.Tech in Electrical or Electronics; working professionals welcome |
| Duration | Standard module, or combined with PLC/Drives as part of the NCAP program |
| Included | GA drawing templates, wiring practice panels and IP/enclosure reference material |
| Placement Roles | Panel Design Engineer, Panel Wireman, Site Engineer, Testing & Commissioning Engineer |
| Hiring Companies | Panel builders, system integrators, OEMs and EPC contractors |
The roles panel-trained engineers step into.
Ready to build your first panel from a blank drawing?
Individual sessions and small cohorts start every month — online or at any of our four Gujarat centres.