What is the maximum current rating of a Simotrol assembly?

Simotrol is rated up to 2,500A on the standard platform. For higher requirements we typically build on Logstrup or in custom Quantum enclosures.

What short-circuit withstand does Simotrol carry?

Type-tested to Icw 50kA for 1 second (Ipk 105kA), or Icw 63kA for 1 second (Ipk 139kA), depending on configuration.

Can Simotrol be expanded after the initial build?

Yes. Modular architecture supports adding tiers without cutting, welding, or drilling.

What Form of segregation does Simotrol support?

Form 3b and Form 4a are both engineered into the platform.

Are CWS-built Simotrol assemblies AS/NZS 61439 compliant?

Yes. Every Simotrol assembly we manufacture is designed and verified to AS/NZS 61439, with full documentation pack.

Can you maintain Simotrol assemblies built by other manufacturers?

Yes. Our maintenance team services all major LV switchboard platforms across NZ, including Simotrol assemblies built elsewhere.

Simotrol Switchboards Built in New Zealand

Simotrol is the modular industrial switchboard platform our heaviest LV switchboard work runs on. We’ve been building Simotrol assemblies in our Invercargill workshop for decades, including main switchboards, motor control centres, and complete switchroom installations across NZ industrial procurement. Designed and verified to AS/NZS 61439, manufactured under our ISO 9001-certified quality management system.

Simotrol Platform Capabilities

Up to 2,500A: rated operating current on the standard platform
AS/NZS 61439 type-tested: independently verified at certified labs
Form 3b or 4a: engineered into the platform, not retrofitted
Icw 50kA or 63kA: short-circuit withstand for 1 second
RAL 7035 grey ripple finish: powder coat with white interior, alternative colours on request

Decorative black dot grid pattern background for Clive Wilson Switchboards website

Interior of an open electrical switchboard enclosure showing busbars and circuit breakers during assembly at Clive Wilson Switchboards

Platform Overview

What Simotrol Is

A Type-Tested Industrial Switchboard Platform

Simotrol is a self-supporting, industrial-rated switchgear and control gear platform. The system is distinguished by its modular tiered architecture and its compliance with AS/NZS 61439, the mandatory NZ standard for low-voltage assemblies. It has been independently type-tested by certified laboratories, which lets a Simotrol assembly carry full design verification documentation rather than relying on per-project case-by-case verification.

Type-tested performance: Documented short-circuit withstand, internal arc, and rise-of-temperature
Modular expansion: 1980mm or 2200mm tier heights, expand without cutting or welding
Form 3b or 4a engineered in: Internal separation built into the platform
Up to 2,500A: Standard platform rating
RAL 7035 ripple finish: Grey polyester powder coat, white interior
Form 3b or 4a segregated: Equipment, busbar, and cabling compartments fully separated

Specifiers ask for Simotrol when they want a documented, traceable, AS/NZS 61439-compliant platform with full design verification, not a case-by-case build.

Switchboard panel with Schneider Electric main switch and Critec surge protection device installed by Clive Wilson Switchboards Invercargill

Architecture

Inside a Simotrol Assembly

What Goes Into Every Simotrol Build

The detail matters when you’re specifying an industrial switchboard you need to live with for decades. Here’s what’s in a Simotrol assembly we build:

2mm folded sheet metal: Segregated compartments for equipment, busbars, and cables
Tin-plated copper busbars: Horizontal at the top of each tier, vertical through each tier
750A or 950A vertical busbars: Standard sizes tailored to the application
Front-access cable terminations: Vertically aligned cable ways with integrated cleats
Non-ferrous gland plates: At both ends, top and bottom entry
Top-of-cubicle access: Busbar access through removable covers on top of the cubicle
Backward compatible: Bolted construction lets new tiers be added without cutting, welding, or drilling

Standard tier heights of 1980mm or 2200mm. Standard depths of 450mm single-sided or 750mm double-sided. Custom dimensions on request.

Switchboard group assembly in progress showing multiple electrical panels with circuit breakers and wiring in workshop

Compliance & Type-Testing

Type-Tested to AS/NZS 61439

Independent Type-Test Verification, Project-Specific Documentation

Simotrol’s value lives in its type-testing. The platform has been independently tested at certified laboratories to verify compliance with AS/NZS 61439.1 and .2:

AS/NZS 61439.1:2016 and .2:2016: Designed and verified to current standards
Up to 2,500A: Rated operating current on the standard platform
415V / 800V / 8kV: Operational, insulation, and impulse voltage ratings
Icw 50kA or 63kA for 1 second: Short-circuit withstand (Ipk 105kA or 139kA)
Up to IP54 / IK10: Degree of protection and mechanical impact strength
Routine verification: Per AS/NZS 61439.1:2016 clause 11
Environmental, fire, IK, IP standards: IEC 60068-2-30/11, AS/NZS 60695.2.11, BS EN 62262, AS60529

For your project documentation pack, we provide platform type-test certificates, project-specific short-circuit withstand calculations, Form-of-segregation verification photographs, and routine verification certificates. Fully traceable.

Need a Simotrol Switchboard
Built in NZ?

Specifying a Simotrol switchboard or MCC for a NZ industrial project? We build Simotrol assemblies in our ISO 9001-certified Invercargill workshop, designed and verified to AS/NZS 61439, with the full compliance documentation pack delivered with every job.

Give Us a Call Get in Touch

Motor control centre drawer compartments with Schneider Electric switches and crane socket labelling by Clive Wilson Switchboards

Internal Separation

Form 3b or Form 4a

Both Forms Engineered Into the Simotrol Platform

Internal separation in a Simotrol assembly is not a retrofit. The architecture supports Form 3b or Form 4a as integral design choices, with segregation between equipment, busbars, and cables to the corresponding form. We help specifiers choose between the two based on:

Maintenance regime: How often live work is required during service
Single-fault tolerance: How much isolation is needed between functional units
Withdrawable units: Whether the design uses withdrawable functional units
Project budget: Form 4a costs more enclosure footprint than Form 3b

For mission-critical or high-availability sites, Form 4a is typical. For sites where operator access during service is minimal, Form 3b is sufficient and saves enclosure footprint.

Interior of switchboard showing Schneider Electric main circuit breaker copper busbars and danger 400 volts sign by Clive Wilson Switchboards

Why CWS for Simotrol

Why Simotrol from Clive Wilson

Decades Building Simotrol in Invercargill

We’ve been building Simotrol assemblies in Invercargill for decades. That track record matters because Simotrol’s value depends on the build quality and the documentation pack, not just the platform name on the front of the cubicle. From us, you get:

Heavy-industrial expertise: Dairy MCCs, wastewater MCCs, freezing-works refrigeration MCCs, pump station boards
Full compliance pack: Type-test certificates, short-circuit calculations, Form-of-segregation photos, FAT documentation
ISO 9001 manufacturing: Every drawing checked, every torque logged, audited annually since 1995
Schneider Prisma alongside: Mixed-platform projects delivered from a single source
Logstrup or Quantum on request: Where the duty exceeds the Simotrol envelope
Nationwide delivery from Invercargill: Built, FAT-tested, and delivered to site nationwide

Send us your single-line diagram, motor schedule, fault level calculation, and segregation requirements. We’ll come back with a Simotrol configuration recommendation, segregation choice, and indicative lead time.