Motor control centre and switchboard design and replacement

Since 2005 the team at Neo has designed countless switchboards and motor control centres for a wide array of clients and industries. This includes both the design of: new switchboards for greenfield sites; or the replacement/upgrade of switchboards for brownfield sites. As Neo works across many industries and varied clients, we are able to offer pragmatic designs to meet almost any user requirement or budget.

A switchboard is generally the heart of any electrical installation. As a result, many factors need to be considered to ensure it meets the requirements of all stakeholders. These include: current & fault ratings; protection systems; form factor; space restrictions; future needs; cable management; motor starting; control system monitoring, etc. Additionally, when undertaking a switchboard replacement a number of challenges must also be carefully managed. These can include:

• Keeping the site in service during a changeover.
• Compliance with AS/NZS61439 and AS/NZS3000
• Arc flash requirements.
• Assessing the integration of new and existing equipment, as equipment compatibility may not be possible.
• Contending with space constraints of the new switchboard and ensuring egress requirements of the compliance standards are meet.
• Considering whether existing cables should be reused to accommodate this constraint, the switchboard’s cubicle arrangement requires consideration.

Neo recognises the importance of minimising downtime, as such we pay special attention to understanding all elements of the project.  This knowledge allows us to produce a migration methodology that ensures a smooth transition to the new installation.  Neo maintains a good working relationship with all major switchboard manufacturers, this enables us to have a practical understanding of current industry trends.

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