Glossary Updates12 new terms added to the glossaries · October 2, 2026, 22:44 CEST
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Glossary · Electrical engineering and control panels

Control cabinet

Also known as: Electrical cabinet, Control panel enclosure, Switch cabinet

German: Schaltschrank

In electrical engineering, a control cabinet is an enclosure that houses the electrical and electronic equipment of a machine or plant, such as controllers, power supplies, protective devices, contactors and terminals, and protects it against environmental influences and people against contact with live parts.

  • Control panels

In one sentence

A control cabinet houses a machine's electrical control equipment and protects it from the environment and people from live parts.

Example

The machine's control cabinet contains the PLC, drives, 24 V power supplies, circuit breakers and terminal blocks behind a lockable door.

How it applies

  • Engineering: Cabinet design covers layout, heat dissipation, IP rating, EMC zoning and spare space. Low-voltage switchgear assemblies are covered by the IEC 61439 series; machine electrical equipment by IEC 60204-1. In North America, UL 508A is widely used for industrial control panels.
  • Safety: Opening the cabinet exposes live parts. Access is typically restricted to skilled persons, and the main disconnect is used for isolation.
  • Documentation: Deliverables include circuit diagrams, cabinet layout, parts list, terminal plans and cable lists. Place warning labels for electrical hazards on the doors, and describe in the maintenance manual who may open the cabinet and how to isolate it.

Control cabinet vs. control panel

The control cabinet is the enclosure with the equipment inside. A Control panel is the operating surface with buttons and indicators. In US English, "control panel" often means the whole cabinet; clarify in translations.

By knowledge.aitechdoc.world · Published September 26, 2026 · Last reviewed

Source: IEC 61439-1, Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies — Part 1: General rules

Definitions follow the cited standards and specifications. Where a source is a copyrighted publication, such as an ISO, IEC or EN standard, the definition is a close paraphrase, not a verbatim quotation, so as not to infringe copyright. We recommend reading the original publication. The sections “How it applies” are editorial commentary by AI TechDoc Blog and are not part of any standard.

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