[DonFrambach]

I've just completed the wiring for my upgraded control box. While everything works, it looks to me a little like a rat's nest. I hope to add more capability to the box and think that the messy wiring may make the planned upgrades harder to implement.

I've seen photos of other control boxes that look extremely neat.

Does anyone have tips or references to wiring techniques that I could learn?

Just for yucks, here's a photo of my current messy wiring job:

[BanduraMaker]

The shortest path from one lug to the other is what yields messy boxes.

If you want something neat, think of making wire "highways" that lead to all components. Wires are only allowed to travel from one component to the other via these highways. e.g. in your box, you could have three "North-South" highways on the right side, left side and up the middle and an East-West highway at the bottom.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it too much

[doorknob]

I'd agree that I wouldn't worry about it.

You could use ty-wraps or other types of cable wraps to neaten things up, but the next time that you want to add or modify a wire path you will curse that decision.

Also, certain inputs (such as those for limit or home switches) may be susceptible to coupling of unwanted signals from other wiring, and so running those wires neatly bundled up with other types of wiring may turn out to be a bad decision too.

[underthetire]

Agreed.
This helps a lot
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/PAN...XT9?Pid=search

I do a lot of panels, everything is pandit covered and din rail mount. Also use the standard blue wire low voltage, red wire 100vac, and black wire buss or high voltage, although I have several wire labeling devices. It takes some thought of lay out before you ever start mounting anything, trying to keep the high voltage away from low voltage, ground locations, etc.

Also, wood really isn't a great idea for back panels. If anything should get hot, your looking at a fire, and the entire panel should be grounded.

[Al_The_Man]

Although it usually requires an increase in panel size, Panduct is the way to go, I use TR64 wire, the OA dia. is smaller for a given gauge than TEW etc, doesn't fill the trough up so fast.
If you only have a few conductors you can dress it neatly and use adhesive tie wrap mounts every few inches, as already mentioned.
Al.

[Zygoat]

this is what i would do. the highway idea is the right track. say you have a wire that needs to go from the lower left corner to the right side of the power supply. it would go up the left side, across the top, down the right a little bit and then break out and connect to the power supply.



than you also have a nice space (bottom) ready for future expansion.
you can get some of those zip tie mounts and zip ties. the whole thing should cost less than $10

these are the type of mounts. you can get them at any hardware store, home depot, harbor freight, ect. run the zip ties through the base and around the wires and you are set.

[r00t4rd3d]

Some zip ties, wire loom and I could make your box wiring look beautiful.

[DonFrambach]

Here's one (of many) practical questions. How is it best to make a multiple branch? For example, to apply power to 4 devices in the box. The photo below shows the best that I have been able to come up with but I hope there are better ways. Strip on the left is more secure but the one on the right is more dense. Hopefully there is a better way!

[Al_The_Man]

For the one on the left, you can actually get a special flat multi section link that straddles as many terminals as required, just clip off where needed.
The other way is to use DIN rail components, Weidmuller, Phoenix Contact Allen Bradly for a few, these allow clip on terminal segments to the DIN rail and have various length copper bar to straddle the required terminals for making a common block.
See J & K http://www.mouser.com/catalog/645/usd/1757.pdf
Al.

[RomanLini]

You can get bus bars for that too, which is basically one metal bar with multiple holes and screws in it. They come in many sizes and the small ones often have a plastic mount.

[vtx1029]

I agree with Al Din rail and wire ducts are the way to a clean E-box

[tjb1]

Agreed.
This helps a lot
Wire Duct, Wide Slot, Gray, 3.25 W x 3 D - Wiring Duct - Wire Management - 3EXT9 : Grainger Industrial Supply

I do a lot of panels, everything is pandit covered and din rail mount. Also use the standard blue wire low voltage, red wire 100vac, and black wire buss or high voltage, although I have several wire labeling devices. It takes some thought of lay out before you ever start mounting anything, trying to keep the high voltage away from low voltage, ground locations, etc.

Also, wood really isn't a great idea for back panels. If anything should get hot, your looking at a fire, and the entire panel should be grounded.

You have got to be kidding me...$100 for a 6' piece of plastic. I will lock my box shut before I spend $100 for 6' piece to organize it. Hell thats more expensive than the 8020 extrusion we are complaining about in another thread.

[FannBlade]

Yea! Look at McMaster it's alot cheaper. Graingers is crazy high on everything.

[Al_The_Man]

You have got to be kidding me...$100 for a 6' piece of plastic.

I don't know where they get their stock from, I just picked up some from my local Panduct supplier for $35.00, T&B was even cheaper but they were out of stock.
Al.

[tjb1]

I don't know where they get their stock from, I just picked up some from my local Panduct supplier for $35.00, T&B was even cheaper but they were out of stock.
Al.

I was looking at the pieces on Grainger.

[Al_The_Man]

I was looking at the pieces on Grainger.

I was just pointing out that that is not the typical industrial price you would pay for that product, any local electrical supplier would do better and no shipping!.
Al.

[michaelthomas]

I don't have the number at hand right now, but I just bought some wire duct from Mouser.

It's 1 x1, made by Phoenix Contact, and was about 8$ each 80in piece.

Just search wire duct and narrow it to Phoenix Contact.

[DonFrambach]

Really want to learn how to do better control box wiring. I've spent several hours looking at DIN rails, components, and ducting but haven't been able to come up with a plan. Can anyone point me to a handbook or other instructional materials? Can anyone direct me to a wiring project that I can emulate?

[RomanLini]

As a "plan" for your box, Zygoat's diagram photo in post #6 looks great although I would add one more duct on the bottom edge in the photo to make a full duct outer "frame".

Also for small size ducting you can buy telecomms ducting in small sizes and is very cheap compared to panel ducting. (Telecoms ducting is often used in offices to run 'phone lines etc) However it does not have slots everywhere for wire egress so you need to drill a few holes in the right places, but that should be no problem for you if you anticipate where holes might need to be it's soft PVC and drills effortlessly.

To hold ducting down on your thin skin panel you can use a generous splop of silicone, which saves drilling and trying to secure the ducts with fiddly tiny nuts and bolts etc. Just allow it overnight to dry and it will hold PVC duct very well.

[underthetire]

Just the link to show you from graingers. I don't know where we get stock from, I do know it shows up by the pallet load about once a month. I have panduit everywhere at work, we use quite a bit. We also even have colored terminal blocks, red, white, blue, green, orange, and probably others. The screw down type jones strips are almost never used anymore. Most of ours are finger safe a&b or wago. I prefer the wago stuff myself.