ES 3: Advanced Training on EN 60204-1

Industrial Control Panels according to the Machinery Directive

Last edit: 27/08/2025

Training objective

The training objective is to be able to design and engineer an industrial control panel according to the European Standard EN 60204-1. We will also touch on other important standards like IEC 60364-4-41, IEC 60364-4-43, IEC 60364-5-52, IEC 60364-5-53. Since October 2021, the 2006 edition of EN 60204-1 is not anymore harmonised and the new edition has become compulsory. We will also touch on the new editions of IEC 61439-1 and IEC 61439-2 (2020). Despite adhering to the language of the standard, the training is practical, with several examples.

Contents

DURATION: 32 hours

MODULE 1 (8 hours)

  • General Prescriptions 
  • Fixed Installations vs Ele Equipment of Machinery
    • Environmental Conditions
    • Harmonics generation
    • EMC and Annex H [ES3]
    • Cable Shielding [ES3]
    • Electrical Supply Characteristics
    • Applicability of IEC 61439 series

     

  • EMC TEsts [ES3] 
  • Supply disconnecting (isolating) device
    • Whole Body Access
    • Power distribution methods
    • Unexpected startup
    • PE cable
    • Incoming supply conductors
    • Supply disconnecting (isolating) device introduction

     

  • Protection against Electric Shock [ES3]

MODULE 2 (8 hours) Overcurrents

  • Overload and Short Circuit Protection 
  • Overload Protection 
  • Short Circuit Protection 
  • Contactor co-ordination
    • The breaking capacity of protections
    • The limiting function of protections
    • Branching techniques
    • Basic criteria for short-circuit protection
    • Active and passive components and the importance of the assumed current
    • Short circuit testing and other important aspects
    • The 5 possible cases of branch circuits
    • Tap conductors and other aspects related to short circuits
    • Motor starters and OCPD and contactor coordination

     

  • General Example [ES3] 
  • SCCR calculation for switchboard and example of connection

MODULE 3 (12 hours) Protection against electric shock

  • Basic Protection 
  • Fault Protection and the TN system 
  • The residual current protection 
  • TT, IT and Electrical Separation
    • TT System: Use of the RCD
    • TT System: Use of the Magnetic Protection
    • Selectivity with RCDs
    • The IT System [ES3]
    • The electrical Separation [ES3]
    • Protection by reduction of the touch voltage
    • Conducting locations with restricted movement [ES3]
    • Electrical Safety in case of usage of UPS [ES3]

     

  • Exposed and Extraneous conductive Parts
  • Wiring and Class II Equipment; The Protective Conductor 
  • SELV, PELV and FELV systems 
  • Cable capacity according to IEC 60364-5-52 Free air [ES3] 
  • Cable capacity according to IEC 60364-5-52 Burried [ES3] 
  • Cable capacity according to EN 60204-1 and EN 61439-1

MODULE 4 (4 hours) Ampacity and verifications

  • Protection of equipment
    • Overcurrent protection and The Neutral Conuctor
    • Motor Protection
    • Protection against the effects of supply interruption
    • Protection against the fault current
    • Lightning Protection
    • Short Circuit Current Rating

     

  • Operator interface 
  • Controlgear, Cables and wirings 
  • Access; Marking; Technical Documentation 
  • Tests and Verifications

Instructor

GT Engineering is a member of the following Technical Committees

  • Member of the Technical Committee IEC/TC44 MT 60204-1 for IEC 60204-1: Safety of machinery – Electrical equipment of machines.
  • Member of the Technical Committee IEC/TC64 MT9 for  IEC 60364-4-41: Low-voltage electrical installations – Protection against electric shock
  • Member of the UL Standard Technical Panel (STP) for UL 508A
  • Principal (Special Expert) on the NFPA 79 Technical Committee.
  • Member of WG 4-006 of the CE Code (Canadian Electrical Code C22.1)