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Inside the Panel: A Clearer Look at Hazardous Locations

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Monthly Automation insight at a glance. This month:
A Clearer Look at Hazardous Locations – Download the PDF

 

Hazardous Locations: Avoid the Guesswork

Operating in explosive or flammable environments demands precise equipment. Misunderstanding hazard ratings can lead to catastrophic failures, non-compliance, and severe penalties. A clear grasp of Class, Division, and Group classifications, along with protection types like Explosion-Proof

(XP) and Intrinsic Safety (IS), ensures your automation panels meet the stringent safety standards required.

Danger Defined

Different hazards, different protection. Craft Automation ensures your panels are built for the environment.

We’ve Seen the Risks—It’s Not Worth It

In many different operating facilities, we’ve witnessed the potential for issues when controls aren’t properly rated. A single spark in a dust-laden atmosphere or a faulty component near volatile chemicals can have devastating consequences. Understanding and implementing correctly rated controls is not just a best practice; it’s a vital proactive measure to prevent catastrophe.

Rising Industry Demand for Robust Solutions

Regulatory bodies are increasing their scrutiny of equipment in hazardous locations, impacting various industries from brewing and food processing to water treatment and biochemical facilities. In response, OEMs are proactively adopting robust solutions, integrating explosion-proof (XP) and intrinsically safe (IS) protection during the design phase to ensure both safety and operational integrity.

Customized Hazard Report

Don’t leave your facility exposed to hazards or non-compliance. Use our Hazard Location Analyzer to identify your application’s requirements and see how Craft Automation delivers tailored automation solutions for hazardous environments.

Use the Hazard Location Analyzer

Ready to strengthen your safety systems?

Contact Craft Automation to review your setup and ensure every panel meets hazardous-location standards.

Inside the Panel: Small Details. Big Impact. Smart Panels for OEMs

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Monthly Automation insight at a glance. This month:
Small Details. Big Impact. Smart Panels for OEMs – Download the PDF

 

Quick take: Terminal blocks

(The unsung hero in panels)

Every minute of downtime costs money. By using terminal blocks with removable jumpers and clear labeling, field techs can pinpoint issues in seconds instead of hours – minimizing costly production delays. It’s a small design choice with outsized ROI (especially for OEMs supporting remote sites).

Visual of the Month

Every extra minute spent tracing wires in the field is lost productivity. Clear labels, smart spacing, and logical layouts aren’t cosmetic – they’re the first line of defense against downtime.

Field Lesson: Smarter Layout, Faster Results

In a recent retrofit for an OEM, our redesign cut commissioning time by 16 hours. That’s two extra shifts of production they didn’t lose. Even better – future field techs can now verify wiring in seconds with a glance at the DIN rail layout. A cleaner panel isn’t just neater – it’s measurable savings.

Industry Watch: Labor Shortages Demand Simplicity

Across the industry, skilled technicians are in short supply – and training takes time. OEMs are now prioritizing panel designs and HMI logic that can be understood on Day 1. The winners will be those who make service simple, intuitive, and foolproof.

Working on a New Build?

Before you lock in your next panel spec, a 30-minute design consult could save you days in the field – and thousands in downtime. Let’s talk now, before the costs show up later.