Engineering and assembly of industrial electrical switchgear
We engineer and assemble industrial LV, MV and DC switchgear, starting—depending on the project—from client specifications, surveys of existing equipment, or the electrical and functional requirements of the plant.
Engineering, assembly and wiring, routine verification and FAT, installation and commissioning.
From electrical requirements to installed switchgear
An industrial switchgear project does not always start in the same way. In some cases the client already has a complete design; in others the starting point is an operating switchboard that must be replaced; in others only plant data and a functional requirement are available.
LAMAEL can manage all three scenarios because electrical engineering, assembly and testing are handled within the same organisation.
Assembly to client design
The client provides schematics, technical specifications, defined components and operating logic.
LAMAEL industrialises and builds the solution in accordance with the design, managing procurement, fabrication, wiring, verification and assembly documentation.
Replacement of existing switchgear
This is common in power-generation and process plants, where the switchgear to be replaced is part of a system already in operation.
Site surveys are carried out to reconstruct connections, terminal blocks, signals, interfaces, electrical characteristics and dimensional constraints. The replacement switchgear is then engineered to minimise impact on the existing plant.
New design
Starting from network data, load lists, functional requirements, general specifications and operating philosophy, the solution is developed by our engineering team.
When included in the scope, engineering also covers downstream feeders and plant distribution.
Electrical engineering and sizing
The switchgear is defined from plant electrical parameters and the required service. Depending on project scope, engineering can include complete sizing of the assembly and associated feeders.
The same analyses are used to define the enclosure system, busbars, protection devices, settings and control logic.
Where engineering extends beyond the assembly, calculations, schematics and layouts form part of our industrial electrical engineering.
Electrical data and protection
- Analysis of network electrical data
- Rated-current determination
- Short-circuit current calculations
- Breaking-capacity selection
- Protection coordination
- Selectivity studies
- Back-up/cascading coordination verification
- Protection setting definition
Feeders and busbar systems
- Feeder sizing
- Conductor ampacity verification
- Voltage-drop calculations
- Thermal and let-through energy verification
- Busbar-system sizing
- Short-circuit withstand verification
Enclosures and configuration
- Enclosure and dimensional definition
- IP degree of protection
- Internal separation forms
- Thermal dissipation verification
- Layout and maintenance accessibility
Logic and interfaces
- Control and permissive logic
- Electrical and mechanical interlocks
- Auxiliary circuits and indications
- Supply transfer systems
- Interfaces with control and supervisory systems
Back-up coordination and engineering software
Back-up coordination is applied only to device combinations for which the manufacturer provides certified data and configurations. It is therefore not claimed as the result of a generic calculation, but referred to manufacturer-approved combinations.
Manufacturer engineering tools are also used for selectivity, configuration and sizing, including ABB e-Design, Schneider Electric tools and BTicino T-System. Software remains a verification tool: the engineering value lies in correctly interpreting results and application constraints.
Assembly systems and in-house manufacturing activities
Most projects use assembly systems already verified by the original manufacturer for the required currents and configurations. This reduces engineering time, simplifies verification, maintains consistency with the tested original system and controls costs.
When a solution falls outside previously verified configurations, the calculations and checks required to substantiate the adopted variant are developed.
Enclosures, compartments, busbars and components are sourced from specialised manufacturers. The activities that turn them into a finished assembly are carried out in LAMAEL workshops, where the production team works closely with engineering: design choices and manufacturing requirements are verified during construction, not only on paper.
For larger assemblies or projects requiring more space, additional equipped areas are available within the company workshop for assembly, busbar work and testing. Engineering and manufacturing therefore remain directly coordinated within the same organisation, with a single technical reference from solution definition through final testing.
Types of switchgear and switchboards engineered and assembled
The categories below reflect assemblies actually developed for industrial and power-generation facilities.
Power Centers and LV distribution
They form the main low-voltage distribution node downstream of transformers. Engineering can include split-bus architecture, transfer systems, interlocks, busbar sizing and protection coordination.
MCC – Motor Control Centers
They supply and control process motors. Feeder and starting configurations, motor protection, control and permissive circuits, indications and interfaces to control systems are defined.
Primary and secondary distribution
Sub-distribution and local switchboards sized according to connected loads, selectivity with upstream switchgear and installation conditions.
Control panels
They manage commands, permissives, indications and operating sequences for plant loads. Logic is developed from operating criteria and required plant interfaces.
Auxiliary and service switchboards
They supply essential plant services: substation auxiliaries, lighting, sockets, service loads and safety circuits, with particular attention to continuity of supply.
UPS systems
Input, bypass and critical-load distribution switchboards, with definition of supported loads, transfer logic and supervisory indications.
Industrial DC switchboards and systems
Switchboards for rectifiers, batteries and DC distribution, industrial DC systems and special HV-DC applications where permitted switching modes are also critical.
Medium-voltage switchgear and systems
MV distribution systems using compartments from specialised manufacturers, configured and integrated into the plant: scheme definition, protection, interlocks, installation, testing and commissioning.
Custom switchboards for special applications
When the solution falls outside standard configurations, the assembly is developed around the functional requirement: test systems, switching systems, experimental benches and applications with specific operating requirements.
Selected figures from LAMAEL projects
Figures refer to switchgear and systems actually engineered and built for industrial and power-generation facilities.
Experience with medium-voltage distribution systems
LV busbar systems already built
Documented short-circuit withstand on LV assemblies
Special DC applications
Per feeder in an HV-DC test-system application
Values refer to specific completed projects and not to the theoretical limits of solutions that can be developed.
Medium-voltage systems up to 20 kV
For medium-voltage systems, LAMAEL acts as a technical integrator: compartments and equipment are sourced from specialised manufacturers and incorporated into a solution engineered, verified and commissioned in-house.
A typical scope includes engineering and scheme definition, compartment configuration, procurement, integration with existing distribution, installation, testing and commissioning.
Where applicable, the main reference for metal-enclosed prefabricated switchgear is IEC 62271-200, together with other applicable standards in the IEC 62271 series depending on equipment and project requirements.
Components and systems used
Equipment from major manufacturers is normally used, including ABB, Schneider Electric, BTicino and Siemens, together with enclosure systems from suppliers such as Lafer, Rittal and Quadritalia.
ABB is frequently preferred in industrial environments, but selection is made case by case according to technical characteristics, client specifications, availability, compatibility with existing equipment and total solution cost.
Where possible, consistency is maintained between the assembly system and equipment manufacturer, simplifying system verification and optimising procurement and spare parts.
Routine verification and FAT before delivery
The switchgear does not leave the workshop merely wired. Routine verification and functional testing are performed in-house using LAMAEL test equipment and according to our FAT procedure or the test programme agreed with the client.
The client may attend testing as a witness FAT. Results are formalised in a test report and, where required, a punch list of actions to be closed before shipment.
Construction and electrical checks
- Visual inspection and design conformity
- Insulation-clearance verification
- Protective-circuit continuity
- Torque verification of connections
- Insulation resistance measurements
- Dielectric test
- Micro-ohm measurement of power connections
Functional checks
- Wiring and termination checks
- Mechanical operation of devices
- Auxiliary-circuit testing
- Local and remote controls
- Indications and alarms
- Interlock testing
- I/O simulation
Protection testing
Protection devices can be tested with actual trip tests using primary or secondary injection, recording pickup thresholds and operating times.
Verified settings are recorded in the test documentation and used again during commissioning.
Available test equipment
Insulation measurements, dielectric testing, micro-ohmmetry, primary and secondary injection, power-network analysis and electrical measurements.
AC/DC power supplies, signal generation, oscilloscopes and electronic diagnostics for auxiliary and interface-circuit verification.
Assembly conformity and CE marking
For low-voltage assemblies, the main references, where applicable, are IEC 61439-1 and IEC 61439-2.
Depending on project scope, design verification and routine verification, assembly conformity assessment, CE marking, test reports and technical documentation are managed.
A LAMAEL identification plate with CE marking is applied to the assembly and the required conformity documentation is produced.
The assembly declaration of conformity is distinct from the Italian installation declaration under Ministerial Decree 37/08, which concerns the electrical installation as a whole.
A tested and documented assembly
Depending on the project, the supply may include:
- Single-line diagram
- Multi-line and functional diagrams, where required
- Switchgear layout
- Terminal-block schedules
- Bill of materials
- Equipment datasheets and manuals
- Component and assembly-system certifications
- Assembly EU/CE declaration
- Test report and protection-setting list where applicable
- FAT report
- As-built documentation
The client receives a documented industrial system, not merely a wired cabinet.
From FAT to on-site commissioning
The scope can extend beyond workshop assembly. Where required, LAMAEL follows the switchgear through integration into the plant electrical system.
Transport and installation
Transport, positioning, alignment and fixing of the switchgear, plus connection and termination of power, auxiliary and signal cables.
Preliminary checks and SAT
Post-transport inspections, electrical and circuit checks on the installed assembly, testing of plant connections and SAT according to the agreed programme.
Energisation and commissioning
Controlled energisation, functional tests, verification of interlocks and signals, commissioning and start-up support for connected loads.
An HV-DC solution developed for battery and fuel-cell test systems
A public research organisation in the energy-technology sector asked LAMAEL to solve a functional problem: flexibly supply and connect three HV-DC test benches from two independent sources, initially considering the use of changeover switches.
LAMAEL developed the final technical solution: system architecture, sizing, definition of permitted operating configurations, assembly, verification and documentation.
Nominal voltage, bipolar IT-DC system +/−
Independent DC sources: EV battery and fuel-cell branch
EV battery branch
Fuel-cell branch
HV-DC test benches supplied by the system
ABB OT800E04C changeover switches
Documented operating configurations
Internal feeders, 2 × 70 mm² per pole
How power routing works
A switching node routes the battery to either of two benches. The fuel-cell branch can operate directly or through a DC/DC converter. Additional nodes select the configuration and test bench. A specific configuration allows both sources to converge on the third bench where permitted by laboratory procedures.
Conceptual representation of possible power paths. It does not reproduce the project schematic.
Switching is not load breaking
The devices operate in DC-20 utilisation category and only off-load: the operation was designed as a system-configuration change, not as interruption of test current.
- Disable the sources
- Verify absence of voltage and current
- Wait for residual energy to discharge
- Operate the changeover switches
- Verify the resulting configuration
- Controlled re-enabling of sources
The design therefore considered not only voltage and current, but also operating modes and safety conditions of the HV-DC system.
Final verification and documentation
The supply included engineering, functional schematics, as-built drawings, bill of materials, operation, installation and maintenance manual, switching procedures, routine verification, test report and CE declaration.
The test report also documents a dielectric test at 2,500 V DC for 1 second.
Replacement and modification of existing switchgear
A significant share of projects concerns existing switchgear. Work includes circuit-breaker retrofits, replacement of obsolete equipment, switchboard extensions, feeder and busbar modifications, protection upgrades, relay replacement, auxiliary-circuit refurbishment, field modifications and documentation reconstruction.
When complete replacement is required, site surveys reconstruct connections, terminal blocks, signals, interfaces and available dimensions so the new assembly can be integrated with minimum adaptation of plant sections remaining in service.
Industries served
Our switchgear is installed in facilities with demanding continuity-of-service and safety requirements.
Switchgear manufacturing is one of LAMAEL’s long-standing activities: assemblies built by LAMAEL in the 1990s are still installed in operating facilities.
Switchgear is part of the complete electrical system
The same organisation that engineers and assembles switchgear also installs and maintains the industrial electrical installations in which it operates: MV/LV distribution, substations, feeders, instrumentation and auxiliary systems.
This allows each switchgear assembly to be assessed not as an isolated component, but in relation to the upstream network, supplied loads, installation conditions and maintainability during operation.
Explore industrial electrical installationsIndustrial switchgear FAQs
Can LAMAEL build switchgear from a client design?
Yes. Where the client provides schematics, specifications and defined components, the assembly is built in accordance with the design, with LAMAEL managing procurement, fabrication, wiring, routine verification, FAT and assembly documentation.
Can you engineer the switchgear starting from plant data?
Yes, when included in project scope. Network data, load lists, functional requirements and operating philosophy are used to develop sizing, schematics, equipment selection, protection settings and control logic.
Do you build Power Centers and MCCs?
Yes. Power Centers, primary and secondary distribution switchboards and Motor Control Centers are among the assemblies we build, including split-bus configurations, interlocks and supply-transfer systems.
Do you build DC switchboards?
Yes, from DC auxiliary switchboards to custom HV-DC applications such as switching systems for test benches.
Do you also work with medium voltage?
Yes, with experience on systems up to 20 kV. Compartments are sourced from specialised manufacturers; LAMAEL handles engineering and configuration, plant integration, installation, testing and commissioning.
Can the client attend the FAT?
Yes. Testing can be performed with the client present as a witness FAT, according to the LAMAEL procedure or an agreed test programme. Results are formalised in a test report and, where required, a punch list.
Do you also provide installation and commissioning?
Yes, when included in scope: transport, positioning, cable connection and termination, preliminary checks, SAT, controlled energisation, functional testing and start-up support.
Can you replace existing switchgear starting from field surveys?
Yes. Connections, terminal blocks, signals, interfaces, electrical characteristics and dimensional constraints are surveyed and used to engineer the replacement assembly, minimising impact on plant sections that remain in service.
Do you need new or replacement industrial switchgear?
Send our engineering team your specifications, schematics, load list and plant data—or simply describe the requirement you need to solve.
We can assess the technical scope, required verification and assembly solution compatible with your plant and project schedule.
Request a technical discussion