Siemens–a provider of automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries–and Allied Electronics & Automation (Allied)–a high-service distributor of automation and control, electronic, electrical, mechanical, and maintenance products for suppliers–are teaming up to help panel builders better design simpler, more flexible and space-saving industrial control cabinets. Siemens’ SIRIUS modular system, now available from Allied, offers a full range of modular industrial control panel components in seven compact standard sizes, including devices needed to switch, protect, control and monitor motors from size S00 to S12 (45mm to 160 mm in width), and power ratings from 4 to 335 HP (3 to 250 kW).
Key considerations for building control cabinets include wiring time, saving panel space, and whether components meet national regulations and industry codes. Because the panel can contain different-size motor starters, the consistency offered by the manufacturer is important. With SIRIUS, CAx data is available throughout, and users can draw on comprehensive, standard-compliant configuration support to simplify workflows and speed up the electrical engineering process.
From motor starter protectors to overload relays, soft starters and contactors, SIRIUS components are compact and designed for quick and easy connection to facilitate industrial control panel maintenance. The modularity and ease of use of the system also provides engineers with significant advantages when designing and building new control cabinets. SIRIUS devices also benefit from more than 50,000 combination tests and approvals, making them suitable for worldwide deployment.
“We put a lot of thought into the modularity of our designs,” says John Burns, Application Resource Center Manager at Siemens. “For example, with the typical comb busbar system you might have four starters side-by-side and starter three goes down. Typically, to replace it you need to do quite a lot of disconnecting. With SIRIUS, we added an easy plug-in module with a backplane that provides touch-safe 3-phase power across the busbar system, making it quick to assemble, easy to design in, and allowing it to carry the same power rating as the comb busbar system. If one starter fails, the end user can easily switch out that one starter and leave the others under power with this touch-safe design. This can reduce downtime significantly because you don’t need to bring the whole panel to a stop.”
Allied helps engineers, purchasers, maintainers, fleet and facility managers, and inventors build, maintain, and renew their machinery and technology and is an authorized distributor for Siemens products. In addition to SIRIUS, Allied stocks a full range of Siemens control, switching and protection products for industrial control panel builders, and publishes a control panel component guide, as well as expert advice on topics ranging from motor switching and protection to industrial control technology.
For more information on Siemens’ SIRIUS modular system:
Sirius Controls Reference Library
- Allied Expert Advice video on motor switching & protection with Siemens’ John Burns
- Real-world SIRIUS applications and success stories
- Allied/Siemens industrial control panel component guide
