42 n ELECTRICAL AND ENCLOSURES November/December 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com Custom control panels can be the answer Off-the-shelf automation hardware has never been more powerful or flexible. At Beckhoff, for example, our standard product portfolio is vast. However, for some machine-builders and systems integrators, the standard portfolio may not satisfy their unique needs, at which point bespoke may be the best option. There can be a variety of reasons for making this move, such as requiring bespoke branding or an unusual shape to accommodate additional buttons and switches. Contrary to what some might think, custom control panels are not a specialist option. We’ve been manufacturing them for more than two decades. The process is more straightforward than you might expect, and without a need for minimum volume orders, you can go down the custom route even for a one-off machine. Not every machine is built for a generic environment. In many applications, the layout and appearance of the control panel are as important as the electronics inside. For example, a control panel in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility or a public-facing location may need to match the branding and visual identity of the wider system to which it belongs. In other cases, a panel may need to be an unconventional size or shape to make space for extra switches or a portrait screen orientation, or housed in a way that protects against dust or temperature extremes. Then there’s usability. Machines that demand specialist inputs, such as RFID modules or emergency stops, often benefit from panels tailor-made to applicationspecific requirements. Rather than retrofitting workarounds onto a standard design, going custom allows engineers to define the physical and functional layout from the start. This is especially useful when a machine is part of a wider product line or production system, where factors such as branding and system integration matter. Custom control panels can include reconfigured wiring, modified enclosures, unusual connectors or fully bespoke housings. Some manufacturers offer a “pick and mix” approach, where engineers can choose from a library of proven modules, such as buttons, ports, touchscreens and housings — and arrange them into something unique, without starting from scratch. This flexibility extends into production. For example, we offer single-unit builds and no minimum order quantities, making the barrier to entry for custom panels much lower than you might expect. This opens the door to engineers working on low-volume, high-specification machines to design panels that satisfy the application, without compromising on aesthetics or integration. Developing a custom control panel is usually a collaborative process. The customer outlines the requirements, and the supplier works through how best to realise them using their existing hardware. As many of these systems are based on tried-and-tested core hardware, they retain the reliability, performance and compatibility of the underlying platform. For example, a standard 3.5-inch motherboard will not need to be customised, but the peripheral board and other elements such as the housing or interfaces can be. Ultimately, a custom control panel isn’t about luxury. Although the custom option necessarily involves a higher price, it is worth considering whether the benefits in terms of flexibility and functionality make it right for your application. Sometimes the standard option only takes you 95% of the way there, and the last 5% really matters for usability, safety and long-term performance. In a landscape where machines are expected to do more in less space, with greater reliability and clarity of control, that extra effort can be well worth it. n Modern control panels and industrial PCs offer a vast array of configurations, designed to support everything from pick-and-place robots to pharmaceutical filling lines. But what happens when a project pushes beyond even the most adaptable catalogue? Mark Richards, UK sales manager for Beckhoff Automation, explains why custom control panels are becoming increasingly popular. The potential benefits of custom control panels can outweigh their higher costs
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