Electricity + Control November 2017

DRIVES, MOTORS + SWITCHGEAR

Cost Planning (PCP) system that was recently introduced to Shaw Controls to drive down lead times and increase efficiencies. The mechanical process consists of complete design and fabrication from raw material to final complete product. The design office employs a team of full time designers proficient in Solid Works software. They issue approved-for-manufac- turing drawings to the floor. The mechanical pro- cess further includes bending, punching and weld- ing as well as a seven-stage acid dip and powder coating process. A state-of-the-art gasket machine applies the gaskets to relevant joints and doors of the panels. This automated process has dra- matically improved the quality and precision. The panels are then assembled and all busbar work is completed. The electrical process boasts an in-house ded- icated engineering and drawing office that assists the manufacturing workshop from a technical per- spective. The electrical manufacturing process in- cludes wiring of chassis, wiring of doors, busbar terminations, earthing terminations and communi- cation wiring. If the MCC panels are going into a fabricated E-House structure, final assembly will take place. Shaw Controls will mechanically and electrically custom design either a containerised or prefab- ricated electrical house substation solution to house the MCCs and other associated electrical equipment. In the case of E-House fabrication ad- ditional design analysis is often performed such as structural stress, loading, thermal models and seismic loads.

a single enclosure containing the motor starter, fuses or circuit breaker, and a device for discon- necting power. Other devices associated with the motor, such as pushbuttons and indicator lights may also be included. These usually comprise in- coming Air Circuit Breakers, main horizontal and vertical busbars, outgoing starter modules with MCCB/ Switch Fuse Unit, overload relays, contrac- tors, etc. with adequate space for connection of cable and are easily extendable on either side and have excellent short circuit withstand performance of busbars comprising bolted/ riveted modular construction. MCCs are delivered as panels, DBs, control desks, PLC panels and instrumentation control panels. LV panels are available with ratings up to 4 000 A. Shaw’s packaged solutions are often built into shipping containers which deliver compact, versatile and easy to handle switchgear for many project applications. The benefits are significant and include availability on site, up-front reductions in building and installation costs. Stages in the manufacture of MCCs and E-houses The main components in the manufacturing pro- cess; mechanical and electrical as well as final as- sembly in the case of E-House or Containerised Solutions are all performed completely in-house as part of Shaw Controls’ integrated solution offer- ing. All material is ordered through the company’s automatic purchasing system as part of the Man- ufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) and Product

Take Note!

Speed of installation and cost-effectiveness make Shaw Controls’ innova- tive E-houses a popular choice for contractors and other users. MCCs are in modern practice a factory as- sembly of several motor starters. Time spent on a guided tour of the ‘workshop floor’ gives a better un- derstanding and appreci- ation for the innovation that goes into the pro- duction processes.

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MCCs in production at Shaw Controls with Vincent Mvubu.

CNC operation at Shaw Controls with Godfrey Mthabani.

Metal preparation including degreasing, descaling and passivating underway with Victor Zakele Maduna.

Application of IP protection to a panel door by Obed Shezi.

16 Electricity + Control

NOVEMBER 2017