Electrical & Controls — Coordinating Every Motor in Your Circuit
A mineral processing circuit is only as reliable as the system controlling it — and that system needs to be protected from the environment. We design and build Motor Control Centers (MCC) as containerized units: a sealed, purpose-built enclosure that keeps the electrical equipment controlling your circuit out of the dust, moisture, and temperature swings of the site around it.
Two Rooms, Engineered for Safety
Inside, there are two rooms in the containerized structure, kept fully separate for safety and workflow. One room houses the power distribution and motor protection equipment — anchored by multiple sheet steel, floor-mounted, wardrobe-style electrical cabinets featuring front access doors, integral plinths to base, and engineered to meet regional enclosure standards (including Ingress Protection (IP) and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) classifications) based on your site’s operational environment.
These cabinets house the starters, contactors, relays, breakers, and controllers keeping every motor in your circuit running safely. Safety and control equipment can be tailored to include items like emergency stop (E-stop) loops and hour meters, with add-in features available such as phase monitoring relays, customizable Power Factor Correction (PFC) devices, Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) packages, and arc-flash mitigation components.
The Operator Room
The other is a dedicated operator room, keeping your team out of the live electrical equipment while giving them a clear line of sight into the plant. The operator room has one to two workstations equipped with desktop computers, monitors, extra plugins, and a safety warning horn.
Remove Access and Monitoring
Your operators run the plant from this room using desktop computers that provide real-time data on equipment and production. While a standard MCC houses control locally, the control station can be customized to run from a separate desktop computer at another location if your operation requires it.
With the integration of the Secomea’s SiteManager gateway, offsite personnel and AMPCO Minerals service technicians gain real time operational visibility for remote troubleshooting and technical support during commissioning or day-to-day operations. This remote access is strictly controlled and is established with explicit site approval.
Container Specifications
The 20 ft or 40 ft (6m or 12m) certified shipping containers are made of heavy-duty steel and are grounded to protect personnel and equipment. We custom-engineer each MCC to match your exact motor count, load profile, and site electrical specifications. Built and certified as standard cargo containers, they travel from our factory by ocean freighter and complete the final leg to your site by flatbed trailer. A single container or multiple containers can be placed on a concrete pad or an elevated steel structure with a base at your circuit to help manage your operation
Built with Trusted Components
We build MCCs using standard industrial electrical components from established manufacturers such as Siemens, Allen Bradley, Schneider, Eaton, and IFM, matched to your circuit’s motor count, load profile, and site electrical requirements. If you’re running equipment from other manufacturers alongside ours, we can supply an MCC for it — though integration is more straightforward when we’ve engineered the equipment and the electrical system together from the start. In every case, we retain responsibility for the junction boxes, local control panels, and main PLC controls, so the electrical scope of your project stays clearly defined.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How large is an AMPCO Minerals MCC container?
AMPCO Minerals’ MCCs are built as 20 ft or 40 ft actual certified shipping containers, with a grounded base built into the floor to protect personnel and equipment. Built and certified as standard cargo, they travel from our factory by ocean freighter and finish the journey by flatbed trailer to your site. A single container can handle most circuits, and multiple containers can be placed on a concrete pad or an elevated steel structure for larger installations.
What is included in the electrical section of an MCC?
The room houses multiple sheet steel, floor-mounted, wardrobe-style electrical cabinets engineered to meet regional enclosure standards (including Ingress Protection (IP) and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) classifications), along with motor starters, contactors, overload relays, circuit breakers, and fuses. It can be customized with optional components like Power Factor Correction (PFC) devices, phase monitoring relays, Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) packages, hour meters, or arc-flash mitigation equipment based on your project requirements. Mounting locations and specifications can be provided for local procurement of an industrial cooling/heating system to achieve a climate-controlled environment.
What is included in the operator control room?
The operator room is a separate, enclosed space from the electrical compartment — keeping your operators out of the live electrical equipment while giving them a clear line of sight into the plant through the room’s windows. It’s built for a small crew, with one to two workstations equipped with desktop computers, monitors, extra plugins, and a safety warning horn. Mounting locations and specifications for local procurement of a cooling/heating system, air filtration systems, communications equipment, and access control can be provided, depending on what your operation requires.
Can the MCC be controlled or monitored from another location?
Yes. The MCCs includes Secomea’s SiteManager gateway to give your operators, offsite personnel, and AMPCO Minerals service technicians real-time visibility into equipment performance and production data — access that AMPCO Minerals only establishes with the site’s approval. This makes remote troubleshooting and technical support possible during commissioning or ongoing operation.
Do you customize MCCs for different countries or regional electrical requirements?
Yes. Each MCC is engineered to match your site’s voltage, frequency, and electrical requirements, so components sourced from Schneider, Allen Bradley, Eaton, Siemens, IFM, and other manufacturers are configured correctly for wherever your circuit is located.
Who do I contact to discuss building an MCC for my application?
Contact your regional AMPCO Minerals sales representative or reach out through our website. We will ask about your circuit and its needs and give you an assessment of what type of MCC you need.
