Industrial Control Estimating

[Timpi Electric Solutions]

As the title suggests, I'm having trouble making estimates for the design and construction of industrial control panels. I have a pretty accurate estimating software for power distribution, etc., but it has no practicality for estimating projects for motor control, etc. If I had a table of labor units for control components (terminal blocks, miniature circuit breakers, IEC contactors, etc.) I could add material and build assemblies within my software. I've not been able to find anything like that, though.

 

[tom baker]

Are you a UL 508A shop?
If you used Visio software it would keep count on each component as you dropped into your drawing,

 

[Besoeker3]

As the title suggests, I'm having trouble making estimates for the design and construction of industrial control panels. I have a pretty accurate estimating software for power distribution, etc., but it has no practicality for estimating projects for motor control, etc. If I had a table of labor units for control components (terminal blocks, miniature circuit breakers, IEC contactors, etc.) I could add material and build assemblies within my software. I've not been able to find anything like that, though.

We did industrial projects usually as a single unit, not a lot of different components. Our customers expected that. Typically these around $100,000 projects so you have to get them right, not estimates.

 

[Timpi Electric Solutions]

Are you a UL 508A shop?
If you used Visio software it would keep count on each component as you dropped into your drawing,

I follow UL508A standards, but I'm not yet certified. I'm just starting my own company, so I need to get my revenue streams going before adding the expense. I use Capital Electra X software, by Siemens. Material cost isn't the issue because Electra generates very good reports. Estimating labor is the issue.

 

[Timpi Electric Solutions]

We did industrial projects usually as a single unit, not a lot of different components. Our customers expected that. Typically these around $100,000 projects so you have to get them right, not estimates.

All of what I do are one-off custom projects. I'm just discovering a disconnect for when my customers want a price beforehand. I lost a lot on labor for a project over the Christmas shutdown because I underestimated how much time it would take to draw, program, build, and commission the panel.

I did purchase a machine to automatically strip and ferrule wires, as I think that was my most time consuming aspect of the project. My current market is panels between around $2,500-10,000.