A 630 A Simotrol motor control centre combining process motor feeders, auxiliary distribution and provision for future circuits. Designed and manufactured by Clive Wilson Switchboards in Invercargill.
Incoming supply, auxiliary distribution and grouped motor feeders in one assembly.
Assembly platform
Simotrol
Current rating
630 A
Main bus fault rating
50 kA for 1 second
Enclosure protection
IP41
The manufacturing brief
Different duties. One planned arrangement.
This industrial project needed an MCC that brought several types of electrical supply together. Alongside direct-on-line motor starters and feeders for variable-speed drives, the package included auxiliary feeders and a lighting and power distribution board.
CWS arranged the assembly across three sections, separating incoming supply, auxiliary distribution and the grouped motor circuits. Cable zones, control terminations and future space formed part of the layout.
The result is a manufactured switchboard package with a defined place for each duty.
Inside the build
Three sections. Three clear roles.
01 / Incoming supply
Isolation and outgoing feeders.
The first section houses the 630 A main isolator and auxiliary supply feeders. Dedicated cable space sits alongside the equipment compartments, with additional unequipped space below.
02 / Auxiliary distribution
Building supplies beside process power.
A lighting and power distribution board, control space and the group-starter supply are coordinated in the centre section. The arrangement keeps these functions distinct while bringing them into the same assembly.
03 / Motor circuits
A mixed motor-feeder package.
The motor section combines TeSys U direct-on-line starters, VSD supply feeders and equipment feeders. The scheduled duties include pumps, fans and other plant services.
Provision for future circuits
Fitted spares. Space for what comes next.
The motor section schedules 18 assigned circuits and six fitted spare circuits, with a further 12 positions left as space. The fitted spares include both direct-on-line starters and VSD supply feeders.
That distinction matters for a project owner: an equipped spare circuit and an empty position are different provisions. The layout identifies both, allowing future requirements to be discussed against the actual arrangement.
Any later addition still needs its electrical duty, equipment fit, heat contribution and protection requirements checked against the assembly.
Control-system interfaces
Defined connections between MCC and PLC.
The direct-on-line starter arrangement provides interfaces for a PLC start command and running confirmation, using a 24 V DC control supply from the PLC panel. Field-isolator status is also shown as an input to the PLC.
These connections define the relationship between the motor circuit and the wider control system. For a comparable package, agree the PLC programming, drive supply and site-commissioning responsibilities alongside the MCC interfaces.
The Simotrol enclosure measures 2,760 mm wide, 2,220 mm high and 480 mm deep, excluding externally mounted equipment. Incoming and outgoing cables enter from the top.
The project combines main distribution, motor circuits, auxiliary supplies and identified future provisions. It demonstrates how CWS can bring a varied board schedule into one coordinated manufacturing package.
