More Than a Panel Shop | UL508A Custom Automation Panels

A control panel isn't just an enclosure full of components. It's the point where instrumentation, controls, communications, power, and the operator come together.

Through TechStar & Texas Automation Systems (TAS), customers have access to UL508A panel design and fabrication backed by the automation and application expertise needed to build the complete solution.

Built Around the Application

No two automation applications are exactly the same.

The process, environment, instrumentation, control requirements, communications, available power, and operator needs all influence how a panel should be designed.

TAS can build to an existing customer specification or design a custom panel around the application. That flexibility allows the system to be engineered around what the operation actually requires rather than forcing an application into a predetermined design.

Panel capabilities include:

• PLC, RTU and industrial PC controls
• Smart HMIs and operator interfaces
• Panel meters, gauges and annunciators
• Analog, digital and discrete I/O
• Wired and wireless I/O
• Gateways and protocol conversion
• Network and communication hardware
• AC and DC power
• Primary and backup solar power
• Industrial and hazardous-area designs

UL508A Panel Building

UL508A provides requirements for the construction of industrial control panels and gives customers confidence that panels are being built according to recognized standards.

TAS operates a UL508A panel shop, bringing standardized fabrication practices together with real-world automation expertise.

But the value goes beyond the UL508A label.

The team designing and building the panel also understands the control system, instrumentation, communications, programming, and process application surrounding it. That allows decisions made inside the panel to support the performance and serviceability of the entire automation system.

Designed for the Environment

A panel that works perfectly in a controlled indoor environment may not be appropriate for a remote well site, processing facility, wastewater plant, or hazardous location.

Environmental requirements need to be considered from the beginning.

TechStar & TAS can design solutions for industrial environments including Class I Division 1, Class I Division 2, and various NEMA enclosure requirements, helping ensure the panel and its components are appropriate for where the system will actually operate.

Start With the Right Components

Reliability starts with what's inside the panel.

Component selection affects much more than the initial build. It can influence system reliability, serviceability, replacement availability, communications, future expansion, and total cost of ownership.

Rather than simply assembling a bill of materials, TechStar & TAS can help evaluate the application and select components that work together as part of the complete automation architecture.

That can include everything from power supplies and I/O to PLCs, HMIs, industrial networking equipment, communications hardware, and field instrumentation.

Connecting the Field to the Control System

Modern automation panels are increasingly about connectivity.

Field devices may need to communicate with a local PLC or RTU, an HMI, SCADA platform, historian, enterprise system, or remote operations center.

TechStar & TAS bring panel building together with broader automation and communications expertise, including:

• Gateways and data concentrators
• Industrial networking
• Wired and wireless communications
• Protocol and media conversion
• Remote data access
• Web and cloud connectivity

The result is a panel designed as part of the overall control system, not as an isolated piece of hardware.

More Than the Build

This is where the TechStar & TAS approach goes beyond a traditional panel shop.

The same team supporting the panel can also support the automation system surrounding it.

System Design

Develop the control architecture and select the appropriate hardware for the application.

UL508A Panel Design & Fabrication

Build custom control solutions around the process, environment, power, I/O, and communication requirements.

Programming

Program PLCs, RTUs, HMIs, and data concentrators to bring the control strategy to life.

Integration

Connect field instrumentation, control hardware, communications, SCADA, and other plant systems.

Commissioning

Support loop checks, panel terminations, system performance verification, and site acceptance testing.

Troubleshooting & Field Service

Provide in-field automation expertise when a system needs support after installation.

Quality From Build to Documentation

A well-built panel needs to be more than functional on the day it leaves the shop.

It should be serviceable and understandable years later.

TAS emphasizes reliability, field serviceability, quality assurance, and documentation throughout the build process. That attention to detail helps make future troubleshooting, modifications, maintenance, and expansion easier for the people responsible for keeping the system running.

From Panel to Complete Automation Solution

A panel may be where the control hardware lives, but it's only one piece of the automation system.

TechStar brings process instrumentation and application expertise. TAS brings automation, controls, programming, networking, UL508A panel fabrication, and commissioning capabilities.

Together, TechStar & TAS can help take an application from the field device to the panel to the control system and beyond.

Whether the need is a single custom UL508A control panel or part of a larger automation project, the goal is the same:

Build the right solution for the application, build it to last, and support it where it matters most: in the field.