Electrical control & automation

Imagine how good you would be at something if you did it every day for over 50 years.

The design and build of electrical control and automation solutions for many of the World’s leading machinery builders is a core discipline underlining the success of the company.

The quality of workmanship, engineering, connectivity and investment in automation is testimony to why PP C&A has developed its reputation as an award-winning and leading authority in control & automation systems and products from its 5,500 sq m² facility in the Midlands.

Over the years, PP C&A has become the first critical link in a supply chain that ultimately leads to the influencing of the very best end-application accomplishments. Be it an F1 race car’s top performance, or how a potentially life-saving medical examination is carried out, how energy from renewable sources is captured and how many other critical products and machines work effectively.

PP C&A were also one of the first UK control panel builders to obtain UL approval for the supply of controls systems into North America and remain a leading authority on this subject. A complete solution for UL/cUL/NFPA requirements through its own capabilities and accreditations (UL508a) and through close collaboration with key technical partners, a pool of specialist knowledge in areas of legislation are accessible to any customer.

PP C&A provide machine builders and OEMs with the capacity to take on new orders and expand by supporting the full design and build of their control systems – From smaller box builds to large floor standing suites

A strategic approach takes every complexity of a project into consideration and designs a solution that not only adheres to the most stringent build quality, testing and inspection standards, but offers sought after value and benefits.

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Related stories

Investment in automation and people puts PP C&A on course for £40m sales

PP Control & Automation has set its sights on breaking the £40m sales revenue barrier in 2024 after having seen sales rise from £24m to £36m over the last twelve months.

Just one poor crimp

It is a well-documented fact that the single biggest contributor to machine downtime and field failure is caused by poor electrical connectivity. Just one poor crimp connection can cause machine failure, and the sheer volume of electrical connections in and around a piece of complex machinery could make this particularly challenging.

PP C&A targets global expansion after agreeing new deal with Product Approvals

PP C&A has signed a deal with Product Approvals to boost its product certification offer to global clients.

PP Control & Automation rubber stamps its green credentials with ISO:14001 accreditation

A six-figure investment in factory improvements and a commitment to support industry’s move to ‘carbon net zero’ has helped secure a prestigious environmental accreditation.

PP C&A celebrates 30,000 ‘control systems’ milestone with Mazak UK

PP Control & Automation has been working with the global machine tool builder for more than 27 years and the latest partnership has seen it play a key role in the design and production of the new CV5-500.

PP C&A launches new UL campaign to get manufacturers ready for £multi-million North American opportunity

UK manufacturers targeting new growth opportunities in North America are being urged to avoid costly mistakes when trying to meet specific technical standards for the territory.

Why do Contract Electronic Manufacturers get it wrong when supporting Box Build?

The electronics industry is rapidly evolving and in the world of Contract Electronic Manufacturing, the need to consistently ‘add value’ and build ‘long term partnerships’ are phrases that are often declared but seldom delivered.

PP Control & Automation invests £250,000 in ‘world first’ technology

A world first in ‘crimping’ technology has been installed PP C&A to help with increased demand for its strategic services.

UL 508A Standards

Decades of experience and development of specialist knowledge as a fully approved control panel builder for UL & cUL standards has been a vitally important service for customers.

Many European based machinery builders have seen the importance of the North American markets for selling their equipment and understand the need to ensure full compliance.

By working closely with PP C&A, they have efficiently overcome much of the confusion that exists in ensuring legal compliance and safety and have successfully developed a solution that is truly fit for market and have grown their North American sales accordingly.

As a manufacturer of machinery, how confident are you that you are meeting the legal and technical requirements of the US and North American markets?

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UL 508A can apply to any company that is supplying machinery into North America.

The UL 508A Listing Mark on an industrial control panel provides evidence of third-party certification to the municipal inspection authority and to the purchaser of the panel and it shows that the panel complies with an acceptable safety standard.

The UL Standards page dedicated to the directive offers full guidance and analysis, along with the growth enabling benefits that UL certification unlocks.

UL blogs & resources

Understanding the relationship between NFPA and UL 508A

PP Control & Automation has long been promoting the considerations to be mindful of when navigating UL 508A. When doing so, questions linking to NFPA often enter the discussion. This supplement offers some clarity on the relationship between the two.

PP C&A targets global expansion after agreeing new deal with Product Approvals

PP C&A has signed a deal with Product Approvals to boost its product certification offer to global clients.

UL Standards presentation: Inspection & evaluation (Product Approvals)

Having an understanding of the processes encompassing inspection and evaluation is a major facet to the right UL practice for OEMs and the often overlooked considerations and risks when converting European builds to US-ready machines or when looking to expand into North America with new machine builds altogether.

UL Standards presentation: The cabling considerations (Lutze)

With the control panels built and the components selected, all under UL guidance, machine connectivity will bring the whole thing together but there’s a serious worry that all that hard work can be undone by not understanding the importance of cabling in relation to UL.

UL Standards presentation: The component considerations (Rockwell Automation)

Many definitions used in systems implemented in North America have no equivalent in the design of industrial installations according to European regulations. The reason for this is not a simple problem of different terminology, but a different conceptual approach altogether.

UL Standards presentation: The opportunity in North America

PP C&A’s presentation on the UL standards opportunity in North America, the business considerations, and design considerations is now available to watch on demand.

PP C&A launches new UL campaign to get manufacturers ready for £multi-million North American opportunity

UK manufacturers targeting new growth opportunities in North America are being urged to avoid costly mistakes when trying to meet specific technical standards for the territory.

UL standards video playlist

Providing machinery builders with all the considerations they’ll need to take on board to seize a massive opportunity in North America.

UL Standards: Inspection & evaluation

Unlike Canada the requirement for NRTL approval is not mandatory. However, the vast majority of your potential customers are very likely to require and request it.

UL Standards: Don’t forget the cables

With the control panels built and the components selected, all under UL guidance, machine connectivity will bring the whole thing together.

Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFMA)

Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) is a core discipline practiced at PP C&A and can be best understood as a set of guidelines and best practices for designing products in a way that makes them easy and efficient to manufacture and assemble.

The goal of DFMA is to reduce costs, improve quality, and increase efficiency during the manufacturing process.

DFMA can encompass several value add techniques, such as using standardised components, simplifying designs, and minimising the number of parts used.

Essentially, by following DFMA principles, PP C&A can help machine builders and OEMs design systems that are easier to manufacture, assemble, test, and maintain. Cost savings, improved quality, and shorter lead times are renowned key benefits to following these principles.


Minimising the number of parts


Using standardised components


Simplifying designs


Optimising tolerances


Reducing assembly steps


Improving accessibility for testing and repair


Minimising material waste


Designing for modular control & automation systems

Modular design in the context of electrical control & automation breaks down complex systems into modular components, with the ambition of improving manufacturing efficiency and facilitating easier assembly and maintenance.

Key networks
& partners

PP C&A is always inspired by the many benefits of building partnerships as part of a wider strategy to support the trend for outsourced design, engineering and more specialist competencies required by OEMs involved in complex machine building.

Cooperation within a framework of customer specific needs and optimisation of those needs, alongside the ability to adapt and drive innovation is sought after now more than ever.

PP C&A’s technical partnerships with innovative technology suppliers, testing & approval bodies and industry associations facilitates the continuous development of the company, capturing emerging opportunities at speed thanks to an ‘on request’ pool of expert knowledge and know-how to dip into.

If leveraging the benefits of partnerships developed at PP C&A could help on your growth journey, then PP+ may be of interest. PP+ is an expansion of the traditional outsourcing model that considers the customer’s growth objectives and offers a single-source solution to industry-best resources and guidance.

A blueprint for collaboration

What if by understanding what works across other regions, successful approaches can be combined to build a collaboration blueprint for UK manufacturers to call their own.

Is future-proofing UK manufacturing dependent on going green?

In an era where environmental concerns are at the forefront of global discourse, the UK manufacturing sector finds itself at a crossroads. To flourish, there is a compelling argument that it must undergo a profound transformation towards sustainability.

The machines of the circular economy

There are various types of machines and devices that contribute to the circular economy by enabling resource conservation, waste reduction, recycling, and the reuse of materials. The demand increase in these varieties has been more progressive in recent years.

Shock of the new: The tension between innovation and resistance to change

When adopting new technologies and exploring emerging industries, there is often a disruptive element involved. They can challenge established norms, disrupt traditional industries, and require individuals and organisations to adapt to new ways of doing things.

£Multi-Million green opportunity for PP C&A as machine builders and ‘early disruptors’ target Net Zero gains

PP Control & Automation has started working on projects worth more than £2million in the last year alone, projects that are all involved in renewable energy, energy storage and building machines for electrification across a myriad of transport sectors.

PP+ navigates the approvals maze and helps bring new products to new territories

Navigating the maze of approvals is one that you really don’t want to be attempting alone. PP+ Growth Module Partner, Product Approvals Ltd is a specialist consultancy and testing solutions company.

PP+ acts as single access to every engineering design discipline imaginable

The PP+ outsourcing model gives access to several ‘Growth Module Partners’ that sit within the realms of industrial design and offer a luxury of different design disciplines.

The PP+ ecosystem responds at speed to the wishes of KPM

Within weeks, KPM is already reaping the rewards of the PP+ ecosystem of specialist Growth Module Partners.

PP Control & Automation launches PP+ to help bridge ‘valley of death’

One of the UK’s leading strategic manufacturing outsourcing specialists is aiming to help domestic businesses cross the well-publicised ‘valley of death’.

Disruption or Defence – A Strategic Choice

It’s important to understand the nuances of disruption if you’re to go on making the right strategic choices, and of course, making your mark with your product or innovation.

Electrical control & automation » MAN Logo » PP Control & Automation

PP C&A is a proud and long-standing member of the Manufacturing Assembly Network, also known as the MAN Group.

The MAN Group is a network of manufacturing companies designed to share technical excellence in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering processes.

As a customer and partner of PP C&A, access is open to numerous manufacturing disciplines from a single source and a more stable solution for complex, multi-discipline engineering projects.

The MAN Group consists of seven specialist manufacturers, one engineering design agency and the knowledge transfer of Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG).

MAN Group engineering disciplines

Aluminium casting

CNC & conventional machining

Contract electronics manufacturing

Electrical & electronics assemblies

Forging

Metal stamping

Plastic injection moulding

Tube bending & manipulation


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Engineering & Production capabilities

A combination of production and engineering capabilities to suit your specific needs can be accommodated to deliver the desired result.

Such a solution can broadly be divided into module build, part machine build or full machine build – – whichever provides the optimum solution for you.

Get a quick glimpse at key capabilities by interacting with the solutions wheel below.

Resource centre

The resource centre collects all downloadable content from the website and allows you to compile your own custom resource pack for instant download.

Feel free to browse the full range of resources by clicking the button below.

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Add these guides to your resource basket

There should always be a process of consideration when selecting the right outsourcing partner and understanding how that partner delivers against your requirements. That’s why PP C&A introduced the 3D process. It clearly defines the whole journey into three specific stages: Discovery, Decision, Delivery.

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This collection of case studies examines some of the recent strategic outsourcing partnerships delivering against several business pains for machine builders and OEMs. This guide collects case studies published during 2021.

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This guide highlights key technical supplier relationships covering a broad set of categories, from industrial design support and access to academia, and automation and legislation partnerships, to packing and shipping finished goods, all designed to add sought after value to customers.

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Strategic outsourcing case studies

Inventor-e iVendScale+

The way companies access inventory management is changing rapidly and leading the charge is Solihull-based Inventor-e.

Hedinn

PP Control & Automation and Hedinn are now engaged in their 13th project together and the largest yet, the construction of a new plant for Sildarvinnslan.

Needham Group (Interactive Case Study)

Play an interactive video with hotpoints that delve into the story behind the manufacturing partnership with Needham Group and the assembly of its N-Lase range of products.

Winbro Group Technologies

A strategic manufacturing outsourcing partnership – built on trust, integrity and maximising each other’s production expertise – is celebrating ten years together with the launch of the world’s most productive EDM drilling machine.

Collected customer case studies (2021)

This collection of case studies examines some of the recent strategic outsourcing partnerships delivering against several business pains for machine builders and OEMs, and how those partners are benefiting from the PP C&A approach.

Needham Group

Turning to the strategic manufacturing outsourcing expertise of PP Control & Automation could prove to be a pivotal decision for Needham Group as it aims to turn a £30m expansion blueprint into reality.

Inventor-e iVendScale/iBinScale

Inventor-e is accelerating disruption of inventory management with the help of the Manufacturing Assembly Network, a unique collective of sub-contract manufacturers and a world class engineering design consultancy.

Jenton Group

A new manufacturing partnership between PP Control & Automation and Jenton Group has created the capacity to build new UV technology in volumes that could help protect us from Covid-19 in indoor spaces.

Mazak UK

As the years have gone by, the relationship between the two businesses has become more interlinked, with PP C&A increasingly being asked to be involved in the design stage of new machine builds.

Ishida (Video Case Study)

Watch how Ishida realised their growth potential by making outsourcing part of their manufacturing strategy.

Designing for modular control & automation systems

Modular design in the context of electrical control & automation breaks down complex systems into modular components, with the ambition of improving manufacturing efficiency and facilitating easier assembly and maintenance.

Four awards for Tony Hague in recognition of over 20 years of leadership

At the Business Desk West Midlands Leadership Awards, CEO Tony Hague collected two awards, and the fourth individual accolade since collecting the EMA Industry Leader of the Year award in September.

Inside Sustainability feature

The latest issue of Inside Sustainability includes an 8-page feature on PP Control & Automation (PP C&A), with CEO Tony Hague interviewed on the virtues of ESG.

PP C&A boss named CEO of the year

PP Control & Automation’s Tony Hague was named as CEO of the Year at the Business Desk West Midlands Awards last night.

Richard Spears on networking & collaboration: Protolabs InspirON Exchange Podcast

PP Control & Automation Marketing Manager, Richard Spears joins Brandauer CEO, Rowan Crozier MBE with InspirOn Exchange Podcast host Alex Edwards, to discuss the role of networking and collaboration in industry.

Leveraging outsourcing partnerships to accelerate portfolio growth: A strategic play for private equity firms

When it comes to applying close attention to growth, private equity firms continuously seek innovative strategies to maximise returns within their investment portfolios.

Innovation Britain on GB News

During February, GB News’ Britain’s Newsroom programme has been promoting success stories and opinions from the UK manufacturing community.

Investment in automation and people puts PP C&A on course for £40m sales

PP Control & Automation has set its sights on breaking the £40m sales revenue barrier in 2024 after having seen sales rise from £24m to £36m over the last twelve months.

REWIND23: What a difference a year makes!

The REWIND23 campaign is our unique way of collecting the stories, themes, and moments that made our year.

Tony Hague’s Autumn Statement verdict

Tony Hague gives his verdict on chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement.

PP C&A’s core services

Making outsourcing easy

We believe in meeting you, listening and understanding your needs first and foremost.

If you are considering PP C&A’s electronics assembly and integration services or you wish to review your outsourcing strategies, we would welcome the opportunity for discussion.







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