Electrical Switch Gear Assembly Cells
Manufacturers of low and high voltage electrical switchgear , controls, variable frequency drives and circuit breakers are facing a robust growth period for the balance of the decade leading up to 2030.
A combination of limited historical upgrades, the adoption of electric vehicles, renewable energy, automation , electric heating and cooling by heat pumps, crypto currency mining and AI driven mega data centers is driving growth. Now new innovative low voltage switchgear and improved energy management is replacing slow, older equipment that may have reached its projected life spans .
These market developments have put the industry on a fast lane, production schedule with annual growth rates projected at 7%.
This puts gear manufacturers such as ABB, Schneider, General Electric, Siemens and Eaton in a hurry up mode to meet the demand.
This pent up demand requires a fresh look at leaning out the assembly, test and packaging cells to be competitive. Mixed model production necessitates simple cells that can flex according to schedules.
The building of these classes of electrical devices tend to be mixed model production with a significant amount of mechanical assembly. The physical sizes can be large and cumbersome. Past production techniques were based on batch production with a static piece of equipment requiring excessive amounts of inventory being delivered to the work in progress.
And with the batch process this was repeated multiple times for each assembly station.
New higher demand for electrical switchgear requires a lean ,progressive assembly approach to meet ramped up demand.
An efficient, lean assembly cell for electric controls and switchgear requires ergonomic workstations with conveyance ,simple flow for work in progress, integration of poka yoke and smart tools for error proofing thoughtful presentation of tools, fixtures and parts for maximum labor utilization. Efforts should be made to integrate test, inspection rework and packaging, in line.
Other production enhancements include addon lights, production scoreboards, computers, tool shadow boards, bar code scanning and electronic method sheets.
Innovative fixturing to aid the assembly process should also be developed.
Hi Pot ( High Potential) testing should be included and have insulated polycarbonate shielding to prevent inadvertent shock hazards.
Modular station and cell design ensures simple changes for continuous improvement and future production requirements.
The implementation of these efficiencies will pay dividends in increased productivity, higher throughput and the highest level of quality, with less labor.
