Machining control cabinets efficiently and ergonomically

Rittal not only builds switchgear cabinets, but also the machines to make the work of panel builders more efficient and easier. After all, a switchgear cabinet requires the necessary cut-outs to equip it entirely to suit the application. Perforex machines can take over this manual work from your employees, freeing their hands to perform more complex tasks. An introduction to the range.

Cable ducts, push buttons, rails...: they all have to be fitted perfectly into the control cabinet. This requires the necessary operations which, when performed manually, are particularly time-consuming. To make these operations as efficient and ergonomic as possible, Rittal has developed its Perforex machines. 

Rittal product manager Danny Forré: "Previously, everything was done completely manually to finish the mounting plates, doors, side panels... to size. Today, we are seeing more and more digitalization, even from the design process. With the software of sister company Eplan, for example, electrical cabinets can be designed in 3D; this can be done perfectly with Eplan Propanel. And with these 3D drawings, we can then control the Perforex machining centers directly. Without any chance of errors. Without loss of time."

Huge time savings possible

This is immediately the main asset of Perforex machines. They enable sign makers to save time. A lot of time. Forré: "A switch cabinet of 2,000 x 800 mm will take about six hours of mechanical preparation on average. The higher the complexity, the more this will add up. For the same cabinet, our Perforex has enough for half an hour of lead time. Moreover, during that half hour your employee can perform other tasks in the meantime, so it means a big boost in productivity. In addition, there is no more chance of errors, which means that a higher quality cabinet can be delivered. "An absolute added value, then, especially in these times when technically skilled personnel are hard to find," he says. "You can really value your employees thanks to the Perforex and let them do the actual wiring instead of this preparatory work."

Milling, turning, drilling and tapping in one motion

There are two options within Rittal's Perforex range. The most popular choice are the Perforex Milling Terminals (MT). Feel free to compare them to a classic CNC machine. "These milling centers are equipped with the necessary tools for milling, drilling, turning and tapping in the X, Y and Z directions. They also perfectly fit a welded cabinet to create further openings for a fan or cooler, for example," Forré said. Control of the Perforex MT can, as mentioned, be done directly from the Eplan software. "Then you start from a digital twin of the control cabinet in which all components, from the plates to the openings, are included. So you no longer have to perform any additional operations." But even if you work without 3D plans, the Perforex MT can be an interesting addition to the workshop. "For that, we provide software in the cloud that can easily create the right layout. Finally, drawings can also be imported via dxf." The Perforex MT is available in three versions, according to format.

Laser center for stainless steel 

The second option is the Perforex Laser Center (LC). Forré: "Here the control cabinet is prepared by means of a laser beam. Especially in stainless steel, this provides a significant advantage. This is because milling is done at a lower machining speed in this material. With laser cutting, this limitation falls away completely. It can be done up to ten times faster. In addition, the laser head can move completely around the case or component to be machined in 3D. So you only have to position once; everything can be machined in one run." 

Those who have a lot of stainless steel or painted and welded cabinets to process will realize additional time savings with this Perforex LC. By the way, the control is done in exactly the same way.