Control Panels for the Machine Tool Industry

Panel-Fab has fabricated custom control panels since 1979. Our family-run shop operates across six facilities and more than 100,000 square feet of floor space in Cincinnati, Ohio. That capacity lets us take on lathe, grinder, CNC, and extrusion projects of any size. Every industrial control panel for industrial machinery we build follows your drawings and specifications; we do not sell from a stock catalog.

What Machine Tool Control Panels Do

Control panels regulate the electrical and pneumatic systems that keep your specialized machine tools and forming equipment running smoothly. Inside the enclosure sit the relays, drives, disconnects, and the human-machine interface (HMI) an operator uses to start, stop, and monitor the equipment. These panels also help predict performance issues before a failing part affects the rest of the production line, and they give plant engineers real-time data to monitor power consumption and adjust equipment for better energy efficiency. Industrial control panels support applications across machining, cutting, forming, prototyping, assembly, and inspection. They play a part in keeping that equipment running throughout a full shift without interruption.

Applications Across Machine Tool Operations

Panel-Fab builds custom industrial control panels tailored to a wide range of heavy machinery operations. Each application calls for its own component list, layout, and finish.

Lathes, Grinders, and CNC Machines

Lathes, grinders, and CNC machines each run their own duty cycles, and each places different demands on a control panel. We engineer panels for these machining operations directly from the drawings the machine builder or OEM provides, so the finished panel matches the exact components the application calls for. Because these panels support precision machining and cutting work, we test each one against your specifications before it leaves our facility.

Extrusion, Forming, and Assembly Equipment

Extrusion lines, forming equipment, and assembly stations each interact with operators and the production floor differently. Panel-Fab fabricates the enclosure, mounts components, and finishes each panel in-house, including cutting, painting, and engraving, so the finished unit matches the application.

Meeting NFPA 79 and UL 508A Requirements

NFPA 79 and UL 508A are two of the standards most often referenced for control panels used on machine tools and other industrial machinery in North America. NFPA 79 addresses the electrical safety of the machine itself, including the wiring, components, and protective measures built into the equipment. UL 508A addresses the panel that controls that machine, covering how it’s built, wired, and labeled so it operates safely at its rated voltage and current.

Panel-Fab builds every panel for machine tool applications to meet both standards, along with:

• UL 698A
• ESA
• CE
• ETL
• VDE
• Military Spec standards

Short-Circuit Current Rating and Panel Safety

An industrial control panel also carries a short-circuit current rating, or SCCR, which shows how much fault current the panel can withstand at its point of installation. Component selection, wiring layout, and enclosure construction all factor into that rating. Panel-Fab accounts for SCCR requirements from the design review stage, reducing the risk of rework once your panel reaches the OEM or end-user site for inspection.

How Panel-Fab Fabricates Panels for Machine Tool Equipment

Operating two shifts across six facilities allows us to efficiently handle large machine tool orders while maintaining competitive four-to-six-week lead times. One point of contact stays with your project from drawing review through delivery, so you are not chasing updates across departments. These same capabilities carry across our full range of services, so a machine tool panel gets the same process rigor as any other custom build we ship.

Custom Engineering, Assembly, Wire, and Testing

Every machine control panel starts with a review of your drawings and bill of materials to catch mismatches before production begins. Once approved, operators cut enclosures on our Steinhauer machine for clean, accurate openings, then mount components to the final backplate layout.

Technicians wire each panel to print, and every unit goes through functional testing against the original drawings before it ships. Our panel building process also covers engraving and painting in-house, so a finished panel leaves our Cincinnati facility ready to install rather than as a partial assembly.

Request a Quote for Your Panels From Panel-Fab

Every machine control panel we build starts with your drawings and specifications, not a stock catalog.

Contact us if you’re shortlisting a partner for your next lathe, grinder, CNC, or extrusion equipment project, or send your panel drawings or specifications to request a quote.