The Switchboard Design Requirements

Switchboard Panel

The Switchboard Design Requirements

Design Rules

The following rules of design have to be implement in the aim to facilitate the assembly and especially the maintenance of the installation.

The switchboard must be designed the way to have a clearly visible separation between the 3 following zones:

• One dedicated for the devices installation
• One dedicated for the bus bars mounting
• and one dedicated for the out-goers cables connections 

Switchboard Areas

The goal of that architecture is to separate the switchboard in different areas in function of each professional user.

• Devices zone => panel builder and exploiter
• Bus bars zone => panel builder
• Cable connection zone => installer and maintenance

In order to facilitate the access within the switchboard for the maintenance, its covering panels must be dis-mountable on all surfaces for any IP degree.

All the devices must be installed onto dedicated mounting plate designed for one or several switchgear of the same type. The objective of that point is to regroup the protection equipment of the same nature each others and distinguish inside the switchboard the function of each device or group of devices.

Theses mounting plates will have an independent fixing system affording them to be transformed and moved anywhere in the switchboard and especially to make it easier the installation evolution.

To insure the maximum protection of people around the electrical installation, front plates must be installed in front of all control and protection equipment in order to avoid a direct access without a tool to the devices and consequently to the active parts.

For safety reasons and especially when the door will be opened during the switchboard working, all bus bars have to be covered by barriers onto the whole perimeter of the bus bars zone.