Blitzpanel Library

Improve knowledge on control panel engineering topics. Stay informed on industry news and trends.

  • We Are Running Out of Electricians: A Report on the Electrician Shortage in 2026

    Nearly everything America is racing to build runs on licensed electricians. But we don't have enough of them. A few numbers set the scene: Meanwhile, demand is accelerating in every direction at once. Data centers, EV chargers, reshored factories, and the grid wiring it together — dozens of industries are competing for the same pool of workers.

    Industry
    Jul 28, 2026

  • The Eccentric Father of the PLC: Dick Morley

    Every PLC humming away in a control panel today traces back to a guy who invented it because he had a hangover, dropped out of MIT because he didn't want to learn German, and once quit a stable engineering job because his boss wouldn't let him ski on weekdays. That guy is Richard "Dick" Morley. He never liked being called the inventor of the programmable logic controller. He preferred "father," be

    Industry
    Jul 8, 2026

  • Structured Text vs Ladder Logic: When to Use Each

    Most people think of a control panel as a box full of wires, breakers, buttons, and terminals. But the real decision-making usually happens inside the PLC. The PLC is the device in your panel that decides things like: To make those decisions, someone has to program the PLC. Two of the most common ways to do that are Ladder Logic and Structured Text.

    Engineering
    Jun 18, 2026

  • How to Calculate SCCR for Your Control Panel

    Every control panel has a breaking point. Push it past its limit with a sudden fault current, and you're looking at melted components, ruined equipment, or worse. Preventing that disaster comes down to understanding one critical boundary: its Short Circuit Current Rating (SCCR). SCCR is required on industrial control panels under UL 508A and is referenced by the NEC (NFPA 70) and OSHA. If your pan

    Engineering
    Jun 12, 2026

  • What Is a Ground Loop? And How To Diagnose And Fix One

    You've wired a panel, tested it on the bench, and every signal came in clean. Then you installed it. Suddenly, the tank's pressure sensor reads a different value every second, even though the tank hasn't moved. At the same time, the temperature sensor reads three degrees high one minute and five the next, but you can't get it to repeat the same number twice.

    Engineering
    Jun 8, 2026

  • What Is a Controls Engineer? Skills, Salary, and How to Become One

    Almost every machine that moves on its own has a controls engineer behind it. The bottling line that fills, caps, and labels thousands of ketchup bottles an hour. The water treatment plant that keeps your tap water at the right pressure around the clock. The HVAC system that keeps a building at a steady temperature without anyone touching a thermostat.

    Industry
    Jun 1, 2026

  • Allen-Bradley vs Siemens PLCs: How To Choose

    2 companies run ~55% of factories in North America. Siemens and Allen-Bradley are in a battle to control the pumps, sensors, and robotic arms of America's industry. They make PLCs, or programmable logic controllers, devices that serve as the brains of industrial electronics. It's a pretty high-stakes decision to pick which company gets to run your factory. Different hardware, pricing, protocols. A

    EngineeringIndustry
    May 25, 2026

  • What Is a Daughter Box? Control Panel Disconnect Safety Explained

    There's a lot of ways to kill yourself working on an industrial control panel. There's one great way to make sure you don't: a disconnect box. (We often call this a daughter box) You can be easily electrocuted while servicing the panel since the wires inside are always live. You can try to be safer by disconnecting power at the source instead of at the panel, but this is less straightforward and a

    EngineeringIndustry
    May 16, 2026

  • How To Make an I/O List for Your Control Panel Project

    An I/O (Inputs, Outputs) list is a spreadsheet that documents the signals traveling in and out of your PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) project. Engineers take your I/O list and build everything in between to keep your electrical system running smoothly. Let’s walk through a scenario to get a better idea of what an IO list is, and how it relates to your system.

    Engineering
    May 7, 2026