[kolias]

For my next CNC control panel I would like to use a steel panel along with DIN rails and terminals

Does anyone knows where I can get these items retail in Canada, preferably in Montreal?

[RMHCNC]

For my next CNC control panel I would like to use a steel panel along with DIN rails and terminals

Does anyone knows where I can get these items retail in Canada, preferably in Montreal?

Greybar electric
Westburn electric
Torbram electric

Just 3 off the top of my head

[Al_The_Man]

The main manuf. of enclosures is Hammond or Hoffman, but they can get expensive, If you are patient, you can often pick up a deal on ebay, I have obtained some good deals C/W disconnect, Panduct, DIN mounted Terminals and other goodies for way less than trade price.
Al.

[kolias]

Hey Al, what is screw terminals? Maybe as the attached picture?

mmoe that is pretty good what your saying and I love the pricing; but the place I found for the DIN terminals he is charging $2.50 / terminal and although right now I don’t know how many I need I assume I will need at least 20 + the end plates + the rails so we are talking about $100 easy and possibly more. I'm not in USA and that’s why I always have problem sourcing electrical components.

This "Connectwell" seems a good place but in India? Since you have ordered from them I don’t mind to give them a try + I don’t mind to spend $20 to get 50 terminals.

Did you order directly from India?

[kolias]

Thank you both, Westburn seems a good choice, they sell retail (looks like) and have an office not far from my place. But I will also search eBay

Now for the funny part; I would like to use DIN rail / terminals but I never used them and don’t really know what they do and how you make the connections. From another member here I got the attached picture and would like to make something similar.

So with the DIN terminals I guess instead of using wire nuts to make a splice you bring your wiring to the DIN terminal and the end of your wire snaps into the terminal?

And how about if you have one feed (black / white of 120VAC) and you want to feed 3 other points. How that will work with the DIN terminals?

And can you mix 120VAC and VDC on the same Rail?

I will assume the DIN rails / Terminals must be of the same kind (manufacturer) in order to be able to snap each terminal to the rail or they all fit?

[hollisin]

Thank you both, Westburn seems a good choice, they sell retail (looks like) and have an office not far from my place. But I will also search eBay

Now for the funny part; I would like to use DIN rail / terminals but I never used them and don’t really know what they do and how you make the connections. From another member here I got the attached picture and would like to make something similar.

So with the DIN terminals I guess instead of using wire nuts to make a splice you bring your wiring to the DIN terminal and the end of your wire snaps into the terminal?

And how about if you have one feed (black / white of 120VAC) and you want to feed 3 other points. How that will work with the DIN terminals?

And can you mix 120VAC and VDC on the same Rail?

I will assume the DIN rails / Terminals must be of the same kind (manufacturer) in order to be able to snap each terminal to the rail or they all fit?

kolias who is the member you got the picture from? I would like to ask him about the connectors in the top of the cabinet and the mother board.

Thanks
Jack

[Al_The_Man]

DIN rail is a just a quick Standard method of mounting various electrical components, even transformers come now with DIN mount.
Some others are relays. contactors, Power supplies, PLC's etc.
You need to observe that same wiring practices that are used in screw/panel mount components.
Al.

[kolias]

Thank you Al, so I got this straight and looks like the screw terminals are a much better alternative than wire nuts but if I could understand the DIN rail system I would rather go for it, looks like the "Cadillac" of connections, lol

On eBay I get many options on the DIN system and since I don’t know the options I hesitate to place an order. Since my panel will have 120VAC and 10-40VDC wiring I wonder what I have to order:

DIN rails come in 35mm, 32mm or 15mm. What is the difference between them?
Slotted or unslotted rails? What is the difference?
Do I need feed through terminals? What are the options?

What is the difference between End Clamps and End Plates; I know what End Plate is for but do I need one End Plate for each Terminal or if they are stuck together I only need 1 at each end?

I also know what the End Clamps are for but how many do I need? One for each end on a rail?

Pre assembled shorting pins; insulated or not? 2, 3, 4, or 10 poles?

And what about the wire gauge I will connect to each terminal? How do you identify this?

[kolias]

Here is my new control panel; perhaps other members can use this idea to make their own.

Bought a new empty computer case $16, plus 1/8" aluminum sheets cut to size $22, plus 1 length aluminum angle 1/16"x 3/4"x 3/4" $4 and a box of 1/8" pop-rivets. Box turned out solid

The inside back panel is 1/8"x 13" x 14" and is bolted to the case with 1/2" rubber stand offs

On the top flip-up lid I will install all push buttons etc.

[kolias]

That's great news Mike, thanks so much

I will need your experience here because I really don’t know what I need since I never used DIN rails system before.

For the rails length I would say cut them to what length is allowed by the USPS or whatever length is convenient for you to ship. My case is 14" wide

My estimate says that I will need about 24 terminals but I'm sure I will need more. If you can send me the 50 you have I will go for that or send me whatever you can plus include the 6 end clamps

Regarding the endcaps I will need 6 because I plan to have 3 or 4 strips of rails, one for 120VAC, one for 38VDC (stepper motors), one for 24VDC (cutter cooling fluid pump) and possibly one for 12VDC (cooling fans). If it's not convenient to send me 6 endcaps I will manage with the two you have now

Do you have any Shorting bars? I understand they are convenient to have although I don’t know how to use them right now but I will figure it out when the time comes

And the wire ducts? I remember we discussed this but at that time I said no. Now thinking again I would like to try them and if it's convenient again for you please send me perhaps 6 feet?

Send me a PM when you know your cost to arrange payment
Much appreciated

[hollisin]

Thank you Al, so I got this straight and looks like the screw terminals are a much better alternative than wire nuts but if I could understand the DIN rail system I would rather go for it, looks like the "Cadillac" of connections, lol

On eBay I get many options on the DIN system and since I don’t know the options I hesitate to place an order. Since my panel will have 120VAC and 10-40VDC wiring I wonder what I have to order:

DIN rails come in 35mm, 32mm or 15mm. What is the difference between them?
Slotted or unslotted rails? What is the difference?
Do I need feed through terminals? What are the options?

What is the difference between End Clamps and End Plates; I know what End Plate is for but do I need one End Plate for each Terminal or if they are stuck together I only need 1 at each end?

I also know what the End Clamps are for but how many do I need? One for each end on a rail?

Pre assembled shorting pins; insulated or not? 2, 3, 4, or 10 poles?

And what about the wire gauge I will connect to each terminal? How do you identify this?

I purchased these and removed the 4 way jumper. I wired my 5 volt supply for my limit switches and the inputs using this. Much easier than using the connectors on the bob.

They are willing to set up custom configurations but there is a minimum purchase.

These are the mini size and take up a lot less room.

Wire Terminal Strip Block Custom 32A 22 14 AWG | eBay

[RMHCNC]

Al has it spot on my friend, in the end a nice clean wiring job helps when it comes to trouble shooting issues or replacing/upgrading
Your deff on the right track

[kolias]

The thread is here http://www.cnczone.com/forums/cnc_wo...r_build-3.html
but notice the date, is very old and dont think you will get a reply

[kolias]

Thank you Al for the info, very informative to let me understand what is involved

mmoe your help is much appreciated. Of course I will take your offer and remains how you want me to pay you; perhaps Paypal, Visa or I can even send you a money order. Please PM me and tell me what you think.

I'm very far from designing the panel (probably around December will be my best guess) but I would say 2 feet rails will be long enough. I was thinking to have one rail for all DC volts wiring and one for the 120VAC wiring + couple spares. Wires I will use will be 14G for the 120VAC and 18-24 for all DCV wiring. I include a picture of my previous panel to give you an idea how many components I will have.

Regarding the wiring ducting I will pass this item because I have some nice small plastic clips which will hold the wiring in place nicely, not as nice as a duct but good enough for now.

One item I would like to get and you don’t mention is the ground connections and I have many for both AC and DC. I remember reading somewhere that there is a DIN terminal for grounding? I guess you know better what I'm talking

If you think of anything else that I need pertaining to DIN rail / terminals please include them.

I found that USPS to Canada has a pretty good service and it's fairly inexpensive in comparison to FedEx and the like.

Thanks again for your help

[Al_The_Man]

BTW, one minor observation, in the case of power supplies and any heat producing items, it is customary to mount them at the top of the cabinet to avoid any affect on items above them.
Al.

[mmoe]

Another place to look for various electrical supplies is some of the HVAC suppliers. They often carry DIN rail and I've found that it can often be cheaper there than at industrial control suppliers. Many of the products seem to straddle the line between HVAC and industrial controls, so it's worth a look if you've got an HVAC supplier nearby. I bought my DIN rail (aluminum extrusion style) for about $1.50/3foot stick at an HVAC supply, which was less than I've found it anywhere else. Some also carry appropriate DIN mount relays and power supplies.

[kolias]

Finally I found a place to purchase what I need. He is a rep of Guillevin.com and he supplies electrical contractors in a village not far from here. Ha actually had DIN rail and terminals and it was the 1st time I saw these items. Also he can order items for me if he doesn't have them and price looks reasonable

[kolias]

To avoid using wiring nuts in a control panel is there another alternative besides DIN rail terminals?

[kolias]

Sound good mmoe, I'm not in a hurry at all so when you ready let me know and I will Paypel you what you are asking.

Grounding bar sound good and I will use it. Also Al's idea about a copper plate is good too if I can find such a plate here.

I like the Rittal enclosures suggested by XJDubber, especially since they are made in Canada and I will investigate their cost. A metal enclosure the size of a desktop computer cost $300 at a local electrical supply store so I bought a desktop computer case for $16 and plan to use it as my enclosure. She also has a raised panel on one side like your drawing.

[greggv]

Look at AutomationDirect. They sell everything you need.