pluggable connectors helped US company Powell Industries achieve that. And the market leader in the design of modular electrical equipment already has its sights set on the next quality and productivity increase – with the simple, clear, tool-free WAGO lever connection technology for its “Power Control Rooms” (PCR®s).

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Product Recommendations

Customer application 18 June 2021
Increasing Quality and Productivity –
with WAGO Spring Pressure Connection Technology and Lever Technology

Significantly labor costs and effort while increasing the safety and reliability of its own products – WAGO pluggable connectors helped US company Powell Industries achieve that. And the market leader in the design of modular electrical equipment already has its sights set on the next quality and productivity increase – with the simple, clear, tool-free WAGO lever connection technology for its “Power Control Rooms” (PCR®s).

Increasing Quality and Productivity – How WAGO Supports You

  • Higher current-carrying capacity with WAGO’s 832 Series PCB Connectors with levers

  • Accelerating processes and lowering costs – with WAGO spring pressure connection technology

  • Safe and easy wiring thanks to tool-free conductor connection

Our PCR®s ship to all 50 US states and more than 70 countries and are installed there [...].

Rick Deiss, Production Designer at Powell Industries

Powell Industries is a strategic provider of highly complex integrated electrical power distribution and control systems. For this purpose, the company has developed solutions such as its “Power Control Room” (PCR®) – a controller and control cabinet container, which is used in a large number of markets, such as substations for oil and gas projects and transportation systems. “Our PCR®s ship to all 50 US states and more than 70 countries and are installed there – from the desert and heat of Saudi Arabia to the low-temperature North Slope of Alaska,” says Rick Deiss, Production Designer.

Some of Powell Industries’ “Power Control Rooms” (PCR®s) are so large they need to be split apart and shipped in sections.

Optimizing Production, Transport and Connection – Thanks to Levers

To make its PCR®s even more innovative, the Houston-based company relies on lever connection technology developed by WAGO, in addition to its maintenance-free, vibration-proof Push-in CAGE CLAMP® spring pressure connection technology. The WAGO lever offers a tool-free conductor connection like none other on Earth. For wiring in the factory as well as at the customer’s site especially, it makes the process faster and safer. This offers real added value – especially for large controller and control cabinet containers. “Some PCR®s so large they need to be split apart and shipped in sections,” explains Rick Deiss, Production Designer at Powell Industries.

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The WAGO lever offers a tool-free conductor connection like none other on Earth. For wiring in the factory as well as at the customer’s site especially, it makes the process faster and safer – a real added value for customers, Powell Industries employees and installers.

We needed a connection solution for power connections that could be disconnected by pulling them apart in order to reduce production and labor costs.

Rick Deiss, Production Designer at Powell Industries

During assembly of a larger Power Control Room, the individual sections/rooms are first physically joined together. Then the interconnecting cables between the individual sections must be securely connected in so-called “split boxes” for the wiring. After that, they are “disconnected” again before the PCR® is disassembled once more for shipment to the customer – which is no problem, thanks to pluggable connectors with levers from WAGO. But it wasn’t always like that:

In the past, the cable connections often came loose during shipping of the split boxes, due to vibration and installation errors. Therefore, upon delivery, prior to connecting the rooms together, engineers would need to go into the box, check the wires and re-tighten the screws that held them in place using calibrated torque screwdrivers. “This was really troublesome, time-consuming and costly, not just in terms of labor – the special tools this required also had to be purchased and recalibrated annually,” recalls Rick Deiss.

Improving Connection Integrity of Load and Control Circuits – an Option Becomes Solution

There was no question: The integrity of load and control circuit connections had to be improved in order to reduce production and labor costs. “We needed a connection solution for power connections that could be disconnected by pulling them apart,” says Deiss. One option: WAGO pluggable PCB connectors with maintenance-free Push-in CAGE CLAMP® spring pressure connection technology, specifically the 831 Series MAXI 6 of the WAGO MULTI CONNECTION SYSTEM (MCS).

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Pluggable PCB connectors from WAGO’s MCS MAXI 6 (Series 831) and MAXI 16 (Series 832) Pluggable Connection Systems improve the integrity of load and control circuit connections with their Push-in CAGE CLAMP® spring clamp connection and lever technology.

Product samples and a visit to the German WAGO factory, including the testing facilities, convinced the Powell managers and turned this option into the solution. “I saw how the parts are manufactured and how many tests the products undergo. I was amazed by the quality of WAGO products and how well they held up to the grueling testing. WAGO’s PCB connectors are exactly what we were looking for – a truly innovative component for our PCR®s, which we use to offer our customers added value and consolidate our position as market leader,” says Deiss.

I saw how the parts are manufactured and how many tests the products undergo. I was amazed by the quality of WAGO’s products.

Rick Deiss, Production Designer at Powell Industries

A Focus on New Performance Sizes and Applications

Thanks to its partnership with WAGO, cable lugs, crimps, and loose screws have been a thing of the past at Powell Industries since 2016 for connecting electrical conductors up to AWG 8. WAGO products with spring pressure connection technology have already sped up the process of manufacturing, connecting and disconnecting the shipping sections, ultimately reducing labor costs.

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With the help of WAGO’s proven CAGE CLAMP® spring pressure connection technology and pluggable PCB connectors with levers, Powell Industries is able to speed up and simplify the wiring process while strengthening its role as a pioneer in the design of electrical equipment.

And this partnership based on innovation, efficiency and safety goes further: Powell Industries is in the process of establishing the WAGO 832 Series MCS MAXI 16 Pluggable Connection System with the matching mounting DIN-rail adapter for use in wiring circuits, in order to take advantage of the WAGO Push-in CAGE CLAMP® technology in these applications too. “The WAGO 832 Series Pluggable PCB Connectors have a higher current carrying capacity, so we can use them for connecting conductor sizes up to AWG 4. Currently, we still need cable lugs and screw-clamp connections with tightening torques for wire sizes larger than AWG 8,” says Deiss, explaining the potential for optimization.

WAGO products have already sped up the process of manufacturing, connecting and disconnecting the shipped sections.

For him, however, the lever technology developed by WAGO, which offers clear, tool-free operation anywhere in the world, is another feature of particular interest for handling. Deiss is certain: With the help of WAGO’s proven CAGE CLAMP® spring pressure connection technology and the new pluggable PCB connectors with levers, Powell Industries is able to speed up and simplify the wiring process while strengthening its role as a pioneer in the design of electrical equipment.

Product Recommendations

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Lever Connection Technology on PCBs

The lever technology used in WAGO’s PCB terminal blocks and pluggable connectors is universal and self-explanatory, offering safe, tool-free, intuitive operation for a wide variety of conductor cross-sections. The lever technology is particularly well suited for connecting devices in the field. Discover the advantages and possible applications now!

CAE Data for PCB Layout and Design

PCB engineering made easy! Save valuable time using the free WAGO PCB design data. We offer design-in-ready downloads of schematic symbols and PCB footprints in over 20 different formats for the most common CAE systems.