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.
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.
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 has signed a deal with Product Approvals to boost its product certification offer to global clients.
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 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.
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.
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.
A world first in ‘crimping’ technology has been installed PP C&A to help with increased demand for its strategic services.
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?
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.
Stefano Muraro of Rockwell Automation explores specific evolutions of UL508A standards and the impact on industrial control panels, highlighting innovative, sustainable solutions.
In this guest contribution to the ongoing Sustainability in UL Standards campaign, Phil Murby, UK Commercial Manager at Lutze explores a different approach to the construction of a control panel.
In this guest contribution to the ongoing Sustainability in UL Standards campaign, Phil Murby’s insights provide practical guidance on aligning control panel wiring practices with sustainability and compliance, offering tangible solutions for both efficiency and environmental stewardship.
As the manufacturing community increasingly leans towards sustainable practices, machine builders and OEMs find themselves at the centre of impact and progress. But there are several caveats to ‘doing the right thing’, that will almost certainly emerge. The implications for standards and certifications like UL508A for one, could be significant.
European machine builders are increasingly eyeing the lucrative North American market. Ian Knight believes accessing the opportunity depends on your firm’s ability to strategically navigate standards and avoid the pitfalls of safety compliance.
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 has signed a deal with Product Approvals to boost its product certification offer to global clients.
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.
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.
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.
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
Demonstrating the ability to provide sought-after value throughout the design and engineering process is paramount in any strategic outsourcing partnership.
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.
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.
The best of manufacturing, business and academia have come together to bridge the £bn+ commercial valley of death in the UK.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Within weeks, KPM is already reaping the rewards of the PP+ ecosystem of specialist Growth Module Partners.
One of the UK’s leading strategic manufacturing outsourcing specialists is aiming to help domestic businesses cross the well-publicised ‘valley of death’.
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).
Aluminium casting
CNC & conventional machining
Contract electronics manufacturing
Electrical & electronics assemblies
Forging
Metal stamping
Plastic injection moulding
Tube bending & manipulation
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.
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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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A leading aquaculture specialist – that is changing the way fish are vaccinated safely – has signed a major manufacturing deal.
Explore how PP Control & Automation helps machine builders and OEMs solve real operational challenges through strategic outsourcing.
One of the hospitality sector’s most significant innovations has been given a production boost thanks to the scale and outsourcing capability of PP Control & Automation.
Unique technology born in the heart of Oxfordshire is helping protect millions of electronic devices across the world and its impact is set to grow even further over the next eighteen months.
The way companies access inventory management is changing rapidly and leading the charge is Solihull-based Inventor-e.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A leading aquaculture specialist – that is changing the way fish are vaccinated safely – has signed a major manufacturing deal.
On paper, defined discipline-specific suppliers can look organised. However, every additional supplier introduces another handoff, and every handoff creates another point where time, quality, communication and accountability can be lost.
Very rarely does growth not surface because an OEM lacks ambition. Shortcomings arise because operating models built to support such ambition don’t evolve quickly enough.
Recent weeks have brought two important industry moments into sharp focus, concluding that demand for AI and automation is rising, but investment, skills, and long-term thinking must follow.
For decades, one question has sat at the heart of operational strategy for machine builders and OEMs: make or buy? It’s a familiar debate and it isn’t the wrong question by any means, but perhaps it is an incomplete one.
In most machine building businesses, change is still treated as an exception. A late-stage drawing revision, component substitution, or wiring tweak discovered during build. Each one is handled, resolved, and signed off. And then everyone moves on. But what if that’s the wrong way to think about it? What if change isn’t the disruption to the system but the system itself?
Our ideas. Now in audio. This series turns our latest opinion pieces into easy-to-access insights, exploring the real-world challenges facing machine builders and OEMs today. Simple. Practical. On demand. EXPLORE THE SERIES ON SPOTIFY In this feature, Tony Hague, Director at PP Control & Automation draws on decades of experience …
Global expansion is on the agenda for PP Control & Automation after it announced a major acquisition drive.
Output doesn’t move proportionally. This is the illusion of busy: a system that feels stretched but delivers diminishing returns.
We are thrilled to announce that Pinaki Banerjee, CEO of PP Control & Automation, has been recognised in the first-ever Great 100 list by Made in Group – a celebration of unsung heroes powering British manufacturing and engineering.
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.
