Switchboard Design in Melbourne

Switchboard design at ARA Electrical Services is delivered by an in-house engineering team with experience across industrial environments including dairy processing, oil and gas, food and beverage, hazardous area and FMCG facilities.

These installations present specific design requirements, including high fault levels, continuous process loads, washdown conditions, hazardous area compliance, and minimal tolerance for unplanned outages. Switchboards are designed with these factors in mind, ensuring the distribution system supports production-critical operations without introducing unnecessary risk or complexity.

Designs are developed with a focus on fault level management, protection coordination, and board configuration to maintain selectivity and stability under fault conditions. Consideration is also given to segregation, environmental conditions, and maintainability to suit the operating demands of each facility.

All switchboards are designed in accordance with AS/NZS 61439, with attention to assembly verification, construction requirements, and performance under expected operating conditions. The result is a switchboard design aligned with the electrical and operational requirements of the site.

Designed Around the Demands of Your Site

Switchboard designs are developed with consideration to both the existing installation and how the plant is expected to operate and expand over time.

This includes ensuring safe isolation of plant and equipment, maintaining protection discrimination across MCCs, MDBs and distribution, and confirming that new designs integrate with existing upstream and downstream protection without creating nuisance tripping or loss of selectivity.

Arc flash is addressed as part of the design, not after installation. Protection schemes, device selection, and board configuration are aligned with arc flash study outcomes to ensure incident energy levels are appropriate for the way the equipment will be operated and maintained.

Designs also consider how the board will function within a live processing environment, including access for maintenance, segregation of circuits, and the ability to carry out works without unnecessary disruption to production.

Equipment selection and construction are based on proven platforms such as Schneider, NHP, and IPD, ensuring the final assembly meets AS/NZS 61439 requirements and is suitable for long-term operation within industrial conditions

The result is a switchboard that is fit for purpose, integrates properly with the existing system, and remains workable as site requirements change.

Get a Custom Solution for Your Project

Switchboard designs are developed to suit the existing installation and how the facility is required to operate while playing close attention to site specifications and details.

This includes ensuring correct separation of critical and non-critical loads, maintaining effective fault isolation, and allowing safe access for operation and maintenance activities. Layout and configuration are resolved to avoid congestion, support clear termination paths, and ensure the board remains workable as additional circuits are introduced.

Allowance is made for future expansion through busbar capacity, protection scheme design, and physical space within the assembly, so upgrades can be completed without major rework or impact to existing systems.

Integration That Minimises Disruption

Switchboard design is carried out with full consideration of how the new or modified board will integrate with the existing electrical system.

This includes assessment of upstream supply, downstream distribution, fault levels, and protection interaction and discrimination to ensure the installation operates as intended once connected. Particular attention is given to maintaining protection selectivity and avoiding unintended operation of upstream devices.

For live processing environments, design also considers staging, shutdown requirements, and changeover methodology to reduce impact on production and ensure safe commissioning.

Often designs include specific layout optimisation to allow for the ease of disconnections and reconnections to reduce cable extensions and modifications.

Technical Knowledge Backed by Current Standards

Switchboard designs are developed in accordance with AS/NZS 61439, with consideration to assembly verification, fault withstand capability, temperature rise limits, and enclosure requirements.

Designs are completed by ARA Electrical Services’ in-house registered electrical engineers, with experience delivering switchboard solutions across industrial environments including dairy, oil and gas, large scale HV and LV sites, food and beverage, and FMCG facilities. This includes work within high fault level installations, hazardous area interfaces, and process-critical systems where reliability and protection performance are critical.

Design decisions are based on system performance requirements, including fault level ratings, protection coordination, and environmental conditions, ensuring the completed assembly is suitable for the installation it is serving.

This extends beyond the switchboard itself, with consideration to machine safety design, control system architecture, industrial networking, and PLC integration. Designs are developed to ensure safe interaction between power and control systems, with appropriate segregation, interlocking, and communication between field devices, control panels, and supervisory systems.

This ensures the board is not only compliant in principle, but correctly specified for the electrical and operational conditions on site, and aligned with the broader control and safety systems it supports.

Quality Equipment Selection with Reputable Brands

Equipment selection is based on fault level requirements, duty of the installation, and suitability for the operating environment, ensuring equipment performs reliably under both normal and fault conditions.

Board layouts are resolved to support construction, installation, and long-term maintenance, with consideration to device arrangement, segregation, and working clearances. Internal configuration is developed to manage heat rise, maintain compliance with spacing requirements, and avoid congestion that can impact performance or safe access.

Designs are structured so the assembly can be built and installed without rework, while maintaining safe access for isolation, testing, and maintenance activities throughout the life of the switchboard.

Design Coordination from Concept Through to Installation

Switchboard design is coordinated from initial scoping through to final documentation and installation support, with consideration to site conditions, existing infrastructure, and project constraints.

This includes working through load changes, space limitations, and integration with existing systems, ensuring design outcomes reflect how the installation will actually be delivered.

Coordination with project teams is maintained throughout, aligning design, construction, and commissioning requirements to reduce rework and ensure the switchboard performs as intended once energised.

Plan Your Next Switchboard Design with Confidence

If your site is growing, your electrical distribution needs rethinking, or your existing board no longer reflects how the property operates, it may be time to review your switchboard design in Melbourne. The earlier that planning begins, the easier it is to avoid downstream delays, operational disruption, and unnecessary compromise.

Talk to ARA Electrical Services about a switchboard design that is built around your site, your loads, and your future plans.