Can anyone shed some light on "Dedicated electrical space" and how it applies to Industrial Automated Machinery. We manufacture multi-skid machines and it's typical or mandatory because of space restrictions to have process piping(water, compressed air, oil)to be run above the MCC and control panel. The NEC Article 110.26 says you must have 6ft of clearance and no leak protection is allowed which means I can't use drip trays. The NFPA 79 and UL508 do not mention this topic that I'm aware of. My interpretation is that Article 110.26 is for commercial panelboards. Would Article 110.26 also apply to the power and control panels I described??
Dedicated electrical space
- Thread starter choinskg
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AG-electric
Member
Re: Dedicated electrical space
NFPA 70 2005 Article 110.1 Scope; it appears the Working Clearance does not apply to your Industrial Automation Machinery. There are many Insurance Bodies that will require the Dedicated Equipment Space. I would try to comply with at least the dedicated equipment space in front of the equipment MCC motor control center. I would also look at NFPA 70E-2004, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.
I hope this is a start ???
NFPA 70 2005 Article 110.1 Scope; it appears the Working Clearance does not apply to your Industrial Automation Machinery. There are many Insurance Bodies that will require the Dedicated Equipment Space. I would try to comply with at least the dedicated equipment space in front of the equipment MCC motor control center. I would also look at NFPA 70E-2004, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.
I hope this is a start ???
john m. caloggero
Senior Member
Re: Dedicated electrical space
NFPA 79, Industrial Machinery, Section 12.5.1 covers the requirements for for Working Spaces around electrical equipment. Table 12.5.1.1 is the same as Table 110.26(A)(1) in the 2005 NEC.
NFPA 79, Industrial Machinery, Section 12.5.1 covers the requirements for for Working Spaces around electrical equipment. Table 12.5.1.1 is the same as Table 110.26(A)(1) in the 2005 NEC.
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- Lockport, IL
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- Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
Re: Dedicated electrical space
I am not very familiar with the manufacturing side of the electrical business. I do not know anything about how any codes (other than the NEC) might apply to a skid-mounted system.
But I wonder if you are using the term "Motor Control Center" appropriately. I can't see anything by that name being part of a skid-mounted package. You have motors, certainly, and each motor requires a controller. But that does not mean you have an MCC. I make that distinction because 110.26(F) requires dedicated space for an MCC. If what you have does not answer the description of an MCC, then that article would not apply.
But even if you do have an MCC as part of your system. The process piping you listed are not "foreign" to the system. They are not needed by the MCC itself, but they are needed as part of the remainder of the skid-mounted equipment. Perhaps that is a way out of your problem: to assert that the rule against having pipes less than 6 feet above the equipment does not apply, because the pipes are not "foreign" piping systems.
I am not very familiar with the manufacturing side of the electrical business. I do not know anything about how any codes (other than the NEC) might apply to a skid-mounted system.
But I wonder if you are using the term "Motor Control Center" appropriately. I can't see anything by that name being part of a skid-mounted package. You have motors, certainly, and each motor requires a controller. But that does not mean you have an MCC. I make that distinction because 110.26(F) requires dedicated space for an MCC. If what you have does not answer the description of an MCC, then that article would not apply.
But even if you do have an MCC as part of your system. The process piping you listed are not "foreign" to the system. They are not needed by the MCC itself, but they are needed as part of the remainder of the skid-mounted equipment. Perhaps that is a way out of your problem: to assert that the rule against having pipes less than 6 feet above the equipment does not apply, because the pipes are not "foreign" piping systems.
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