UL 508A Control Panels + Engineering
Control Panels Built Right — Whether You Bring the Design or Need Us to Create It.
From build-to-print panels to complete engineered controls packages, Automation Solutions combines direct component sourcing, experienced technicians, controls engineering, programming, testing, documentation, and startup support under one roof.
Different Buyers. Different Problems.
Start wherever you are.
Some customers want a fast, competitive build from finished drawings. Others need help designing the controls, replacing obsolete equipment, or taking a complete machine package from concept through startup. We work with all of them.
“Just build my panel.”
You have drawings and want competitive pricing, quick delivery, and a shop that will execute correctly without creating more work for your engineers.
OEM repeat production
You need controlled revisions, consistent builds, component procurement, testing, documentation, and one supplier who can keep pace with machine demand.
“Help me figure this out.”
You know the machine needs a control system but want someone to take responsibility for electrical design, component selection, programming, testing, and startup.
Plant modernization
You have obsolete hardware, incomplete drawings, downtime risk, or an old panel that cannot simply be copied and expected to solve the underlying problem.
Build to Print
Build to Print — With People Who Actually Understand the Prints.
If your drawings are complete and correct, we can build from them. But our technicians are not simply assembling wires and components by rote.
They understand industrial controls and regularly identify missing devices, wrong parts, conflicting requirements, and designs that will not work as intended before those problems become field rework.
We can build exactly to print. We can also tell you when the print is going to create a problem.
The Cost You Don't See on the Panel Quote
A lower panel price is not always a lower controls cost.
Commodity panel pricing can look attractive until your engineering team starts doing the work the panel supplier did not remove.
Factory-Direct Procurement
We distribute most of the products we commonly specify.
That changes both the economics and the quality of component selection.
Rather than adding another distribution layer between the panel and the hardware, Automation Solutions often buys directly under established manufacturer relationships. We have access to pricing, availability, technical support, and the people behind the products.
Why the customer should care
- Fewer layers of markup on many commonly used components
- Better visibility into availability and lead times
- Application support from people who know the products
- Component selection based on technical fit, lifecycle, and serviceability—not just what is on the shelf
- Approved substitutions when supply conditions change
- One PO can cover components, fabrication, engineering, programming, and testing when desired
UL 508A + NFPA 79
A Listed panel still has to work as part of the machine.
UL 508A governs the construction of industrial control panels. NFPA 79 addresses the electrical equipment of industrial machinery more broadly. We work in both standards, because a control panel should not be engineered as an isolated box.
UL 508A — The panel
- Component suitability and proper application
- Branch- and control-circuit requirements
- Short-circuit current rating
- Internal wiring and enclosure construction
- Required markings and documentation
NFPA 79 — The machine
- Machine supply and disconnecting means
- Field wiring and conductor practices
- Grounding and protective bonding
- Motors, controls and machine interfaces
- Integration of the panel into the complete machine electrical system
Why it matters: A panel can be properly Listed and still create problems when it is integrated into the machine. Understanding both standards helps us identify those issues during engineering—before they become installation, inspection, commissioning or service problems.
How We Build
Design → procure → build → verify → power → program → test → document → ship → start up.
Review / Design
Build from approved drawings or develop the electrical design as part of the project.
Procure
Source components through direct and established supplier relationships with lifecycle and availability in mind.
Fabricate
Experienced craftspeople and technicians build, wire, label, and assemble the panel.
Verify
Point-to-point checks, wiring verification, final drawing review, and configuration checks.
Power & Test
Power-up, I/O verification, network communications, PLC/HMI loading, drive and servo configuration, and functional testing as scope allows.
Safety Verification
Verify the panel-side implementation and interfaces appropriate to the project while keeping full machine safety validation distinct.
FAT / Simulation
Machine simulation or factory acceptance testing where the project scope and available equipment permit it.
Document
As-builts, BOMs, source/configuration files, parameters, revision records, manuals, and recommended spares as contracted.
Ship
Deliver a panel package intended to arrive ready for the next stage rather than ready for correction.
Start Up
Field installation, commissioning, troubleshooting, and support when included in the project.
Repeat OEM Production
One PO. One responsible supplier. Repeatable controls packages.
Once the machine platform is established, the controls package should become easier to buy and easier to reproduce—not a new coordination exercise every time.
Revision control
Build from the released design and incorporate approved changes without losing track of what belongs on each machine.
Component procurement
Manage recurring hardware purchasing, availability, and approved substitutions.
Consistent fabrication
Repeatable workmanship, labeling, wiring, and testing across production builds.
Programming & configuration
Load and configure PLCs, HMIs, drives, servos, and intelligent devices when included.
Continuous improvement
Incorporate lessons from production and field service into controlled machine revisions.
One purchase order
Combine hardware, panel build, engineering, programming, documentation, and testing under one responsible supplier.
Obsolete Panels & Modernization
Sometimes copying the old panel is the wrong answer.
When original components are obsolete, drawings are incomplete, or the machine has changed over decades of service, a replacement panel may require investigation and engineering—not reproduction.
We can document the existing machine, identify what must be preserved, modernize obsolete controls, redesign the panel, program the new system, and support installation and startup.
Documentation & Lifecycle Support
The panel should still be supportable after the original project team is gone.
As-built drawings
Released electrical documentation reflecting the delivered configuration.
BOM & component list
Part identification and purchasing information for the installed hardware.
Source & configurations
PLC/HMI source, drive/servo parameters, device configurations, and firmware information when in scope.
Revision history
Documented changes so future builds and service work start from the correct baseline.
Recommended spares
Practical spare-parts guidance based on criticality, lead time, lifecycle, and service consequences.
Operations & maintenance manuals
Project-appropriate operating, maintenance, troubleshooting, and support documentation.
Proof to Add
Panels should be shown, not merely described.
Repeat OEM production example
Add an approved example with annual or lifetime panel quantities, scope, revision-control story, and measurable customer benefit.
Complex engineered panel
Add a technically interesting panel showing what engineering supervision and technician experience changed.
Modernization example
Add a before/after story where obsolete hardware, incomplete prints, or field conditions required more than build-to-print fabrication.
Frequently Asked Questions
Control panel design and fabrication
Can Automation Solutions build directly from our drawings?
Yes. We routinely build from customer-provided drawings. Our technicians and engineers also review what they are building and flag apparent conflicts, missing information, incorrect components, or other issues rather than knowingly carrying a problem into fabrication.
Can you design the electrical controls package for us?
Yes. We can provide electrical controls design, component selection, panel fabrication, PLC/HMI/motion programming, testing, documentation, startup, and support as a coordinated package.
Do you supply the components?
Yes. Automation Solutions is a distributor for most of the products we commonly specify, and component procurement is an important part of our panel offering.
Can you build repeat panels for OEM production?
Yes. Repeat-production control panels are a core fit for Automation Solutions, including controlled revisions, component purchasing, programming/configuration when required, testing, documentation, and ongoing engineering support.
Will you substitute components when something is unavailable?
Potentially, but not casually. A substitute should preserve the required technical performance, safety, lifecycle, serviceability, and customer value, and substitutions are handled subject to customer approval and project requirements.
Does a UL 508A panel mean the entire machine complies with NFPA 79?
No. A UL 508A industrial control panel is only part of the machine electrical system. NFPA 79 addresses industrial machinery more broadly, so machine-level requirements must be considered separately where applicable.
How do you test panels before shipment?
Testing can include point-to-point wiring verification, power-up, I/O checks, PLC/HMI loading, network communications, drive/servo configuration, safety-interface verification, final drawing review, and functional or FAT testing where the project scope allows.
Can you replace or modernize an old control panel?
Yes. We can reproduce, redesign, or modernize an existing panel depending on component availability, machine condition, documentation quality, lifecycle goals, and the amount of engineering needed to preserve or improve the machine.
Have Drawings? Have a Problem? Either Works.
Send us the prints—or tell us what the machine needs to do.
We can quote a build-to-print panel, review an existing design, or take responsibility for the complete controls package.