Sheet Metal Fabrication for Industrial Automation
Industrial automation sheet metal fabrication at K-Display includes the control cabinet and the cell around it: enclosures, back panels, HMI and pushbutton stations, robot cell guard panels, junction boxes, and sensor and valve brackets. We cut each enclosure and station for the devices it carries.
Control panel enclosures, back panels, and cell guarding
In sheet metal fabrication for industrial automation, the enclosure type on a panel drawing decides whether we punch conduit knockouts: NEMA defines a Type 12 enclosure as built without knockouts and a Type 12K as built with them. The enclosures, stations, and guard panels are carbon steel, stainless steel, or aluminum sheet, and the enclosures leave powder coated with hinges, latches, and studs installed. Each back panel is a flat sheet that mounts inside its enclosure on studs, drilled to your layout or left blank.
The cabinet arrives with its door hung and its studs set, and the operator housing with its device cutouts made. The studs stand where the back panel's mounting holes fall.
What we make for industrial automation
Sets grouped by cell, for panel shops and integrators.
- Control panel enclosures and back panels
- Wall-mount and freestanding cabinets with door cutouts for the disconnect, HMI, and pilot devices, and the back panel that mounts inside.
- HMI consoles and pushbutton stations
- Pedestal consoles, sloped-face stations, and pendant boxes cut for your screen and pushbuttons, with conduit or cord entry where the drop lands.
- Robot cell guard panels and posts
- Framed sheet or perforated guard panels, posts, base plates, and access doors for a robot cell, with mounts for interlock switches.
- Junction and terminal boxes
- Small boxes for field devices and remote I/O, with knockouts and a mounting plate for the devices inside.
- Valve manifold, sensor, and cable brackets
- Formed brackets for pneumatic manifolds, photo-eyes, light curtains, and wire duct.
- Cabinets and consoles for machine builders
- Control cabinets and operator consoles that mount on a machine frame.
What industrial automation jobs require
- Enclosure type and closure
- NEMA type, such as Type 12 or 12K, with the gasket, door seal, and bonding stud locations for the UL 508A panel build.
- Device cutouts
- A cutout drawing or part number for each HMI bezel, disconnect handle, and pushbutton hole, with the device maker's cutout tolerance.
- Guard layout
- Panel heights, mesh or solid faces, post spacing, and interlock switch positions for each cell.
- Powder coat color
- Color and texture for the cabinets and stations, with a physical sample when the match matters.
- Quantities and dates
- Cabinet, station, and bracket quantities for each project, with the panel build or install date.
- Sensor and manifold mounts
- The sensor, photo-eye, or manifold model with its hole pattern, and the surface the bracket mounts to.
A back panel enters the cabinet through the door opening, and a nut driver has to reach each of its four studs. That clear opening is the panel's size limit.
How industrial automation work runs
Cut, punch, and form the set
We laser cut and punch enclosure bodies, doors, back panels, stations, and guard panels with device cutouts placed clear of the bends, then form the parts and MIG and TIG weld the posts and frames.
Fit hardware, mask, and coat
We install the hardware, mask the ground points, and powder coat the cabinets and stations.
Kit the panels and cells
We pack each back panel with its cabinet, label guard sets by cell position, and group brackets in sets for each cell.