Eight established UK manufacturers cover most requirements for bespoke electrical control panels, from one-off machine panels to motor control centres (MCCs) for the water sector. They are not interchangeable. Some build to a customer’s own drawings, some design and program complete automation systems, and others specialise in building services or low-voltage switchboards.
This guide profiles each company, sets out what it is best suited to, and explains what to check before you place an order. It is written for OEMs, project engineers and buyers who need a shortlist they can act on.
Eight UK electrical control panel manufacturers at a glance
| Manufacturer | Best suited to | Based in | Background |
| RSE Control Systems (Saftronics) | MCCs, LV switchboards and process control, particularly water-sector projects | Leeds, West Yorkshire | Established 1979 |
| PPV Electronics | OEMs outsourcing bespoke panel manufacture to their own drawings | Macclesfield, Cheshire | Manufacturing since 1996 |
| SM Control Engineering | PLC and SCADA systems integration with panel design and build | Walsall, West Midlands | Over 30 years’ experience |
| SIC Ltd | Volume wiring harnesses, panel wiring, control boxes and box builds | Swansea | Founded 1964 |
| Sandford Electrical | HVAC and building energy management (BEMS) control panels | Slough, Berkshire | Trading since 1989 |
| Total Automated Solutions | Instrumentation, control and automation projects, including MCCs | Near Wetherby, Yorkshire | Established 2007 |
| Bensons | Bespoke control panels in one-offs and batches | Normanton, West Yorkshire | More than 60 years’ history |
| HF Group (Automated Controls) | Control panels with installation for infrastructure and building services | Glasgow | Controls division since the early 1990s |
The list is not a ranking. Each manufacturer suits a different type of requirement, covered in the profiles below.
How this shortlist was compiled
The shortlist is based on each manufacturer’s published capabilities, length of trading, stated quality systems and sector experience. It is a capability-based guide, not an independently audited ranking of product quality, pricing or customer satisfaction.
No products were tested and no customers were surveyed. Treat it as a starting point, and ask each supplier for current certificates, references and sample test documentation before you commit.
The manufacturers in detail
RSE Control Systems (Saftronics)
Best suited to: MCCs, LV switchboards and process control for utilities and industry.
RSE Control Systems was established in Leeds in 1979 and traded as Saftronics until a rebrand in July 2025. It works from a purpose-built 2,400 m² design, manufacturing and testing facility. The range covers motor control centres, control panels, low-voltage switchgear and switchboards, and SCADA and PLC systems, and the company is a Siemens SIVACON S8 partner.
Website: saftronics.co.uk
PPV Electronics
Best suited to: OEMs and equipment builders outsourcing panel manufacture to their own drawings and specifications.
PPV Electronics has manufactured in Macclesfield, Cheshire since 1996. It is a contract electrical control panel manufacturer: it builds industrial control panels, box builds, cable harness assemblies and PCB assemblies to the customer’s specification, and the customer keeps the design and IP. Panel types include motor control, PLC, HVAC, HMI and marine panels, in configurations up to 630 A.
Work is carried out under an ISO 9001:2015 quality system and an ISO 14001 environmental management system, to BS EN 61439 and BS EN 60204-1. PPV states that every panel ships with factory acceptance test (FAT) documentation and as-built drawings, with full component traceability and a 12-month manufacturing warranty. Its published lead times are four to six weeks for standard builds and eight to ten weeks for complex automation panels, from receipt of material.
The fit is strongest where a business already has a proven design and needs it built consistently, tested and documented, whether as a one-off or as repeat production.
Website: ppv-electronics.com
SM Control Engineering
Best suited to: complete PLC and SCADA automation projects.
SM Control Engineering is a control systems integrator based in Walsall with more than 30 years’ experience. Alongside control panel design and build, it writes PLC and HMI software for Siemens, Rockwell (Allen-Bradley), Mitsubishi and Omron platforms. It can manage a project from the user requirement specification through to installation, commissioning and handover.
The company works to ISO 9001:2015 and states that its panels are UKCA/CE marked. Sectors include water treatment, food and drink, chemical processing, nuclear and materials handling.
Website: sm-control.co.uk
SIC Ltd
Best suited to: volume electrical assemblies, wiring harnesses and control boxes.
SIC, originally Swansea Industrial Components, was founded in 1964 and is described in trade press as a family-owned business. It manufactures wiring looms and harnesses, cable assemblies, panel wiring, control boxes and box builds for sectors including automotive, medical, HVAC and vending.
SIC is a contract assembly specialist, not a systems integrator. That makes it a useful option where the requirement is repeatable production of a defined electrical assembly.
Website: sicltd.com
Sandford Electrical
Best suited to: HVAC, building energy management and building services panels.
Sandford Electrical Services, based in Slough, has provided building energy management systems (BEMS) and electrical control panels since 1989. It covers consultation, design, manufacture, testing, installation and ongoing maintenance, and also builds LV switchboards and MCCs.
The company cites Canary Wharf, Crossrail and the British Film Institute among its projects, and highlights compliance with BS EN 61439.
Website: sandfordelectrical.co.uk
Total Automated Solutions
Best suited to: process control and automation projects that need instrumentation and software as well as panels.
Total Automated Solutions (TAS) was established in 2007 as a control and automation company and works from an office and workshop near Wetherby. Its services cover feasibility studies, electrical design, motor control centres, systems integration and networking. Its scope runs from design and manufacture through installation, testing and commissioning to long-term support.
TAS states that it works to ISO 9001, with UKAS-accredited ISO 9001:2015 certification gained in 2021.
Website: total-automated-solutions.com
Bensons
Best suited to: bespoke control panels in both one-offs and batches.
Bensons is a family-owned designer and manufacturer of bespoke control panels and systems based in Normanton, West Yorkshire, with more than 60 years’ history. It builds for a broad range of industries, handles both larger batches and unique one-off panels, and tests panels in-house against the design specification.
Website: bensonspanels.com
HF Group (Automated Controls)
Best suited to: projects that need panel manufacture and site installation from one contractor.
HF Group is a multi-discipline building services contractor headquartered in Glasgow, with further offices in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Manchester and Belfast. Its Automated Controls division has designed and manufactured control panels since the early 1990s, with all panel assembly carried out at its Glasgow facility.
The scope covers bespoke electrical and instrumentation panels, fault-rated MCCs and LV switchboards, and PLC and SCADA software, plus site installation and maintenance. Sectors include HVAC and building management, transport infrastructure and industrial refrigeration.
Website: hf-group.co.uk
Which control panel manufacturer should you choose?
The right supplier depends on how much of the job you want them to own. A contract manufacturer builds your design; a systems integrator designs, programs and commissions the whole system.
| Your requirement | Type of supplier | Manufacturers to approach first |
| Outsourced OEM panel manufacture to existing drawings | Contract (build-to-print) manufacturer | PPV Electronics |
| Repeat production of harnesses, control boxes and electrical sub-assemblies | Contract assembly specialist | SIC Ltd |
| One-off and batch bespoke panels | Bespoke panel builder | Bensons, PPV Electronics |
| MCCs, LV switchboards and water-sector process control | Power and process control specialist | RSE Control Systems (Saftronics), Total Automated Solutions |
| Complete PLC and SCADA automation, including software | Systems integrator | SM Control Engineering, Total Automated Solutions |
| HVAC and building energy management panels | Building services specialist | Sandford Electrical |
| Panels plus site installation for infrastructure or buildings | Multi-discipline contractor | HF Group |
For an OEM that already has drawings and needs them built, tested and documented, PPV Electronics is a logical first enquiry. Its strengths are controlled manufacture, documentation and traceability, with the design and IP staying with the customer.
If you need the supplier to write the functional design, program the PLCs and commission on site, start with one of the integrators instead.
What to check before appointing a control panel manufacturer
A capability statement tells you what a supplier says it can do. These checks tell you whether it can do it for your project.
Standards and compliance
- Applicable standards. Ask which standard the panel will be built to. BS EN IEC 61439 covers low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies; BS EN 60204-1 covers the electrical equipment of machines.
- Conformity marking. Confirm who issues the Declaration of Conformity and applies UKCA or CE marking, and what technical file supports it.
- Form of separation. For MCCs and switchboards, agree the form of internal separation (Form 1 to Form 4) at quotation stage, as it drives cost and footprint.
- Export and hazardous areas. If panels are going to North America or into hazardous areas, ask about UL 508A, CSA, ATEX or UKEX experience before you ask for a price.
Quality and testing
- Quality system. Ask for the current ISO 9001 certificate and check its scope and the certification body’s accreditation.
- Establish what is tested on every panel (continuity, insulation resistance, functional test) and whether you can witness a factory acceptance test.
- Ask for a sample pack: as-built drawings, bill of materials, test records and certificates.
- Check that components come from franchised or approved distributors and can be traced by batch.
Commercial fit
- Design ownership. Be clear on who owns the drawings and software, particularly with build-to-print work.
- Some suppliers are set up for one-off engineered projects, others for repeat batches. Ask how change control works between builds.
- Lead time. Get a quoted lead time from receipt of order and from receipt of free-issue material, and ask how long-lead components are handled.
- After-sales support. Check warranty terms and whether installation, commissioning and maintenance are available if you need them.
Standards and marking obligations depend on the application. Have the final specification reviewed by a qualified electrical engineer or compliance specialist.
Frequently asked questions
What does an electrical control panel manufacturer do?
An electrical control panel manufacturer assembles, wires and tests the enclosure that houses the power and control equipment for a machine, process or building system. Some manufacturers also design the panel and write the control software; others build strictly to the customer’s drawings.
What is the difference between a control panel and a motor control centre?
A control panel typically serves one machine or process. A motor control centre (MCC) groups the starters, drives and protection for many motors into one sectioned assembly fed from a common busbar. MCCs are larger, carry higher fault ratings and are usually bought from power and process control specialists.
Which standards apply to electrical control panels in the UK?
The two most commonly specified are BS EN IEC 61439 for low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies and BS EN 60204-1 for the electrical equipment of machines. Which one applies depends on what the panel does, so confirm it with the manufacturer at quotation stage.
What is a factory acceptance test (FAT)?
A factory acceptance test is the documented inspection and functional test carried out at the manufacturer’s premises before a panel is shipped. It proves the build matches the drawings and the specification, and customers can often witness it.
How long does a bespoke control panel take to build?
Lead time depends on complexity and component availability. As one published example, PPV Electronics quotes four to six weeks for standard builds and eight to ten weeks for complex automation panels, from receipt of material. Always ask for a lead time specific to your project.
Can a manufacturer build from our existing drawings?
Many can. This is known as build-to-print or contract manufacture. The manufacturer builds, tests and documents the panel to your schematics and bill of materials, and you retain the design and IP.
How much does a bespoke control panel cost?
Cost is driven by the enclosure, the components specified, the wiring hours, testing and documentation, so published prices are rare. Send the same specification pack to two or three manufacturers to get like-for-like quotations.
Next steps
Shortlist two or three manufacturers whose specialism matches your requirement, then give each the same information so the quotations are comparable.
- Send a specification pack: schematics, bill of materials, I/O list, applicable standards, quantities and required delivery date.
- Ask for current certificates, a sample test report and two relevant customer references.
- Visit the facility, or arrange a video walk-through, before placing a first order.
OEMs looking for a build-to-print partner can request a quote from PPV Electronics or call 01625 502062. For engineered MCC, automation or building services projects, contact the relevant specialist above.
