The Design Path
In what order does a machine get designed, and which parts belong at each stage?
Fourteen stages and what gets decided at each. At every one, we connect you directly to the manufacturer's engineers and carry the request through, so you can get on with the design.
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The design path
Power in, isolate it, protect it, make the control voltage, switch the load, command it, get the data out, wire the field. Fourteen stages, what gets decided at each, and which of our product lines belong there. Click a stage to open it. A brand name or a product list opens that page in a new window.
The design path
A machine gets designed in an order: power in, isolate it, protect it, make the control voltage, switch the load, command it, get the data out, wire the field. Each stage below says what gets decided there, which of our product lines belong, and the questions one step before and one step after. Stages outside the line card are on the path so nothing is hidden. Bring us those too: if one of our product lines fits, we will show you where, and if it does not, we know someone who will.
Incoming power
What gets decided here
How facility power reaches the machine and how it comes apart for service or a move: cord and plug, hard-wired whip, or a distribution box the crew rolls in.
What we bring
- Walther ElectricIEC 60309 pin and sleeve connectors, IP44 and IP67; power cords and cable assemblies; cable bridges; portable power distributors and PDUs
Design Path chapter: Power That Performs
Challenge us
Bring us the service size and the feed drawing and we will show you where our product lines pick up from the building feed.
Before this
- outside Enclosure, thermal, wire ductWho lands the feed at the machine, and is the power entry a gland or a connector on the skin?
After this
- 02 Main disconnectDoes the inlet need to be lockable or interlocked, so the plug cannot be pulled under load?
- 03 Measure the powerIs anyone measuring what this machine draws at the inlet, or does the plant find out on the utility bill?
Main disconnect
What gets decided here
Where the machine is isolated for service and what stops someone opening it under load: a manual switch, an interlocked receptacle, or both.
What we bring
- Walther ElectricManual disconnect switches, 30, 60 and 100 A; mechanically interlocked receptacles
- IMO AutomationMechanical AC disconnects; SI series true DC solar isolators
Design Path chapter: Power That Performs
Challenge us
Send us your lockout procedure and the panel layout and we will show you which disconnects and interlocked receptacles fit it.
Before this
- 01 Incoming powerWhat feeds it, a cord and plug or a hard-wired whip? That decides whether it is a switch or an interlocked receptacle.
After this
- 04 Branch protection and surgeWhat sits behind the disconnect for branch protection, and is it UL 489 listed?
- 03 Measure the powerIs there a meter at the disconnect, or would you like to know what this machine actually pulls?
Measure the power
What gets decided here
Whether the panel can prove what it draws and what the supply looked like when something tripped: a meter at the entry, feeder monitoring across the branches, or nothing.
What we bring
- SATECPRO series and PM17x power quality analyzers and meters; BFM-II branch feeder monitor, up to 54 circuits; EM920 utility meter; HACS current sensors; DC metering for battery storage and EV charging
- Knick InterfaceIsolated current and voltage transducers for the controller: P41000 on a shunt to 20 kA, P42000 bus voltage, 3,600 V working voltage; P44000 temperature at bus potential
Design Path chapter: Industrial Data Pathways
Challenge us
Bring us the utility bill and the tariff and we will show you what the meter has to capture to answer it.
Before this
- 02 Main disconnectWhere does the meter sit, at the disconnect for the whole machine or on the branches?
- 01 Incoming powerHow many machines share that feed? That is the case for feeder monitoring.
After this
- 04 Branch protection and surgeWhich branches trip, and does anyone know what the waveform looked like when they did?
- 08 DrivesAre the drives seeing clean power? A power quality record settles the drive versus supply argument.
- 11 Machine data and networkWhere does the meter data go: the PLC, a building system, or nowhere? Modbus TCP is the usual path.
Branch protection and surge
What gets decided here
How each branch is protected and how a fault clears: breaker ratings and curves, surge at the entry, and what is UL 489 versus supplementary.
What we bring
- IMO AutomationUL 489 miniature circuit breakers, motor circuit breakers, RCBOs, surge protection
- SATECBFM-II branch feeder monitor, to see the branches the breakers protect
Design Path chapter: Power That Performs
Challenge us
Challenge us with the load list and the available fault current and we will show you where the breakers and surge protection land.
Before this
- 02 Main disconnectWhat is upstream of the breakers: the disconnect rating and the feed?
- 03 Measure the powerDo you know which branch trips and why, or is it a guess?
After this
- 06 DC control powerWhat feeds the 24 V supply, and does it get its own breaker?
- 07 Switching the loadWhat is each breaker feeding, a contactor, a drive, a heater? The switching device decides the breaker curve.
- 05 Distribution and terminationHow is the power landed after the breakers?
Distribution and termination
What gets decided here
How power and signals land on the rail: push-in or screw, marking, and whether the panel builder can wire it fast and the field can read it later.
What we bring
Design Path chapter: Wired to Last
Challenge us
Bring us the panel drawing and we will work through the terminal blocks, the marking and the wiring around them with you.
Before this
- 04 Branch protection and surgeHow many branches are landing, and at what wire size?
After this
- 06 DC control powerWhere does the 24 V bus get distributed?
- 12 Signal conditioning and isolationAre the field signals landing on plain blocks, or do they need isolation?
- 13 Cable entry and field connectorsHow do the cables get into the panel?
DC control power
What gets decided here
How the 24 V bus is made, whether it rides through a dropout, and how much heat the supply dumps into the enclosure.
What we bring
- Premium PSUGaN AC/DC power supplies, custom 50 W to 60 kW; DC/DC converters; DC UPS and battery chargers; redundancy; DC/AC inverters and frequency converters where the machine ships to a different grid
Design Path chapter: Power That Performs
Challenge us
Bring us the control power budget, backup time included, and we will show you what fits; for anything it does not cover, we know someone who will.
Before this
- 04 Branch protection and surgeDoes the supply have its own branch breaker and surge?
- 01 Incoming powerDoes the machine ship to 50 Hz sites or run from a DC bus? That is a frequency converter or DC/DC question.
After this
- 09 ControllerWhat is on the 24 V bus, PLC, I/O, HMI, sensors, and what happens to them on a dropout?
- 07 Switching the loadAre the contactor coils and the SSR inputs on this bus?
- 11 Machine data and networkDoes the remote I/O need to keep running through a brownout?
Switching the load
What gets decided here
What opens and closes under load: a mechanical contactor, a solid-state relay, or a DC contactor that can break a DC arc. Cycle count, and what happens at end of life.
What we bring
- IMO AutomationContactors and motor control, compact through heavy industrial frames
- CelducSolid-state relays, single to four phase; DC solid-state relays; solid-state contactors; soft starters; phase-angle controllers
- SchaltbauHigh-voltage DC contactors with permanent-magnet arc blowout, battery contactors, 1500 V and 3000 V contactors
Design Path chapter: Power That Performs
Challenge us
Challenge us with the load, the duty cycle and the safety requirement and we will show you where contactors and solid-state relays belong.
Before this
- 04 Branch protection and surgeWhat breaker is ahead of it, and is the switching device rated for that fault current?
- 06 DC control powerWhat drives the coil or the SSR input?
After this
- 08 DrivesIs the load a motor that needs speed control? Then it is a drive, not a contactor.
- 14 Field devicesIs the load a heater, a DC bus or a battery string? That decides mechanical, solid state or DC contactor.
- 09 ControllerWhat commands it, and how many cycles a day?
Drives
What gets decided here
Which loads need speed control, and what the drive does to the supply and to the panel heat.
What we bring
- IMO AutomationJaguar NXG variable speed drives, including harsh-environment models built for vibration
Design Path chapter: Machine Intelligence & Control
Challenge us
Bring us the motor data and the duty cycle and we will show you which drive fits, and who to talk to where the application calls for coordinated motion.
Before this
- 07 Switching the loadWhat is ahead of the drive: contactor, breaker, reactor?
- 03 Measure the powerHas anyone measured what the drive does to power quality on that line?
After this
- 09 ControllerWhat controls the drive, the PLC over a network or discrete I/O?
- outside Motor and loadWhat is the motor and the duty? That is the sizing conversation.
Controller
What gets decided here
How much logic the machine needs: a smart relay, a compact PLC, or a full controller with I/O expansion. License-free programming across the range.
What we bring
Design Path chapter: Machine Intelligence & Control
Challenge us
Bring us the I/O count and the sequence and we will show you where the PLC fits; if the job needs something we do not carry, we know someone who will.
Before this
- 06 DC control powerWhat powers it, and what happens on a dropout?
- 07 Switching the loadWhat is it switching, and through what?
After this
- 10 Operator interfaceWhat does the operator see and touch?
- 11 Machine data and networkDoes anything outside the panel need to talk to it, and is a PLC rewrite off the table?
- 12 Signal conditioning and isolationHow are the field signals conditioned before they hit the inputs?
Operator interface
What gets decided here
What the operator touches on a wet, gloved or third-shift floor: a touchscreen, a sealed keyboard, a custom front panel.
What we bring
- IMO AutomationiView HMIs
- GETTCustom HMIs; InduProof and InduSteel keyboards; front panels and glass printing
Design Path chapter: Machine Intelligence & Control
Challenge us
Tell us the operator’s job, gloves and washdown included, and we will show you which HMI and keyboard survive it.
Before this
- 09 ControllerWhat controller is it talking to?
After this
- 13 Cable entry and field connectorsIs the interface panel-mounted or remote on a cable? That is a connector question.
Machine data and network
What gets decided here
How data leaves the machine without rewriting the PLC: remote I/O beside the controls, Ethernet to serial, a switch, an edge controller.
What we bring
- BrainboxesED-588, ED-593 and ED-582 Ethernet remote I/O; Ethernet-to-serial converters; industrial Ethernet switches; BB-400 edge controller
Design Path chapter: Industrial Data Pathways
Challenge us
Bring us the data you need off the machine and where it has to land and we will show you the hardware path from the controller to the plant network.
Before this
- 09 ControllerWhat is the PLC, and can it be touched? If not, remote I/O sits alongside it.
- 03 Measure the powerIs there a meter whose data should ride this network?
After this
- 14 Field devicesWhich states, counts and temperatures does the plant want off the machine?
- 12 Signal conditioning and isolationAre those signals dry contact, 4 to 20 mA or RS-485?
Signal conditioning and isolation
What gets decided here
Which field signals need isolation, conversion or a relay between them and the controller.
What we bring
Design Path chapter: Wired to Last
Challenge us
Bring us the signal list, transmitters included, and we will show you where isolation and conversion belong between the field and the controller.
Before this
- 09 ControllerWhat input type does the controller have?
- 11 Machine data and networkAre the signals landing on the PLC or on remote I/O?
After this
- 14 Field devicesWhat is the field device, a sensor, a valve, a switch, and what does it need?
- 13 Cable entry and field connectorsHow long is the run, and how noisy?
Cable entry and field connectors
What gets decided here
How cables get through the wall: glands, split entry for pre-terminated cable, EMC shield termination, and the connectors on the machine skin.
What we bring
- Conta-ClipKDS-SR90 split cable entry for pre-terminated cable
- PflitschEMC cable glands; venting and pressure equalization; drains; cable trays
- Walther ElectricHeavy-duty rectangular connectors
- SchaltbauHeavy-duty connectors
Design Path chapter: Wired to Last
Challenge us
Bring us the enclosure cutouts and the cable schedule and we will show you where the glands, entries and connectors fit.
Before this
- 05 Distribution and terminationWhat lands inside: how many cables, pre-terminated or not?
- 01 Incoming powerIs the power entry a gland or a connector?
After this
- 14 Field devicesWhat is on the other end of the cable, and how is it environment-rated?
Field devices
What gets decided here
What senses position, level and flow with nothing to wear out, and which switches need a positive opening contact.
What we bring
- CelducMagnetic proximity, level, flow, position and safety sensors
- SchaltbauSnap-action switches with positive opening contacts
Design Path chapter: Power That Performs
Challenge us
Bring us the field device list and we will show you which sensors and switches on our line card fit; for the rest, we know someone who will.
Before this
- 12 Signal conditioning and isolationWhat does the signal land on?
- 13 Cable entry and field connectorsHow does the cable get back to the panel?
- 07 Switching the loadWhat is switching the actuator on the other end?
After this
- 11 Machine data and networkDoes the plant want these states and counts off the machine?
Don't see what you're looking for?
These pages show the product lines we lead with, not everything our manufacturers make. Search the site, or tell us what you need and we will find it.
Take the line card with you
Every product line on two pages, in the same four bands as this page, built for the way you design. Made for the drawing set, not the inbox.
Are you an OEM product or machine builder?
Find out what makes Dynamic tick, the products we represent, and how we can help on your next design or project. We give you a direct connection to the manufacturers: the right engineer or department, quickly. Then we stay on your request and manage it through to a result, so your attention stays on the machine.
Still have questions?
If something on this page is close to what you need but not exact, that is normal, and it is usually a short conversation. We are available to talk through the application and tell you honestly whether one of these product lines fits.
Power it. Control it. Prove it.
