Print Shop Electrical Setup

[[email protected]]

I was just wondering how you guys have your electrical wiring setup in your individual shops.

Are you running dedicated breakers and lines to each machine or are you running a larger breaker with a bigger wire in a loop to multiple outlets? Do you use one big breaker box or utilize sub breaker boxes? How many amps you have going to your facility?

 

[rbailleu]

we have a 1200 amp main that splits off into 5 sub panels. 200 amp for the office. 200amps for general shop. 200 amps unused currently, 2oo amps small machines and general. 400 amps to large machines with individual fused shutoffs.

 

[dabob]

We have three bays and a 200 amp service to each of them, The main Press room has a main and a subpanel with individual breakers for each machine, Unit 2 has a main and a subpanel, the folder, and shrinkwrappers have individual breakers, but the duplicators just run on the regular 110 circuits (we do have two different circuits in that room), and our warehouse has a single main box but the main machines have individual breakers for each.

I think for safety purposes you should have a cut off for each major piece of equipment that you cannot unplug from the wall, makes for a much safer work environment and allows you to keep working on the machine that is down for maintenance. You should also check with your local area agences to see what code requires for your area.

 

[kheslin]

Our primary electric service is 480 volts - 1,200 amps. From this panel we supply 4 step-down transformers that provide 120/208 volts to sub-panels (typically one sub-panel per transformer). These sub-panels provide power to our offices, prepress, press room and bindery.

Individual machines that require 220 or 230 volts (as opposed to the 208 volts produced by the transformers) are addressed by adding a buck/boost transformer(s) at the machine.

We supply our air compressors, 2 large air conditioners and Heidelberg XL105 and support equipment with 480 volts. The XL 105 has a factory supplied step-down transformer that provides the 400 volts (?) the press requires.

Each machine that requires 208 volts 20 amps (or more) is fed individually from a sub-panel and has a fused disconnect (or twist lock plug) at the machine.

Our iGen4 has it's own sub-panel providing 208 volts (2 x 50 amps).

Most of our computer equipment is supplied with isolated grounds.

We also have 120/220 volt service that feeds some of our office area.

As you can tell, this "system" has grown over time and is not ideal. In a perfect world, our transformers in the production area would provide 220 volts and our sub-panels would supply dedicated areas instead of the mix and match we have today.

 

[[email protected]]

I know what you mean. I'm in an old building that has been updated and modified but still needs redone again I think. At one point there was 4 boxes but they got consolidated and there's still a subpanel but there never seems to be enough juice in the areas I want and too much juice in the areas I don't need it.

I've done some simple wiring myself and I'm not an expert but I think our local certified electrician isn't that great either...he seems lazy.