Control systems are at the center of modern roofing production. They coordinate equipment operation, manage production processes, and provide the visibility needed to keep lines running efficiently.
While standard control cabinet installations remain suitable for many applications, some roofing facilities face conditions that make additional protection beneficial. Dust, heat, vibration, and continuous production activity can create challenging environments for electrical and automation equipment.
An Electrical House (E-House) provides a dedicated, enclosed space for housing critical control systems and electrical infrastructure away from the production environment.
Depending on project requirements, E-Houses can incorporate:
These features help create an environment designed to support long-term control system reliability while protecting sensitive equipment from plant conditions.
As automation systems become more advanced, the infrastructure supporting them becomes increasingly important. An E-House creates a centralized location for electrical, automation, and control equipment, helping facilities protect critical assets while improving accessibility, organization, and long-term scalability. By moving sensitive equipment out of the production environment, facilities can create a cleaner, more controlled space for the systems that keep the line running.
Potential benefits include:
Roofing production lines rely on controls to maintain consistency, coordinate equipment operation, and provide operators with the information needed to manage production effectively.
An E-House can provide a dedicated environment for:
By centralizing these systems, roofing manufacturers can create a cleaner, more organized controls environment while improving accessibility for maintenance and support personnel.
When planning a controls modernization project or new production line installation, the focus often extends beyond the controls themselves to how and where that equipment will be housed. While not every roofing manufacturing project requires an E-House, facilities making significant investments in automation and control systems often find that an E-House provides an effective way to help protect and support that investment.
It may be worth considering an E-House when:
Evaluating space requirements, environmental conditions, maintenance accessibility, and future expansion plans can help determine whether an E-House makes sense for a particular application. Our automation experts can help assess your facility’s needs and develop an approach that supports your operational and modernization goals.
When an E-House is part of a new production line or controls modernization project, its design can be considered alongside the equipment and control systems it will support. This allows the layout, environmental requirements, electrical systems, HVAC, lighting, and other necessary components to be accounted for as part of the overall project. E-Houses are custom-engineered around project requirements and can incorporate supporting systems.
Controls and supporting electrical and mechanical systems can also be installed within the E-House before it is delivered. With fabrication, system integration, and testing completed in a controlled facility, more of the system can be prepared before it reaches the installation site.
When planning an E-House for roofing controls, understanding what happens outside of the E-House is just as important as understanding what goes inside it. The controls are connected to equipment throughout the production line, so the way that equipment operates needs to be considered as part of the overall project.
Reichel & Drews brings that equipment knowledge into the process. Because the team understands roofing machinery and how it operates within the facility, the E-House can be planned with the larger production environment in mind. And with the E-House built in the same facility, the enclosure and controls can come together under one roof before reaching the plant.
That shared environment creates a more connected approach to the project, with the people who understand the equipment involved in how the controls will ultimately be housed and integrated.
Whether you are planning a controls modernization project, expanding automation capabilities, or evaluating options for protecting critical electrical systems, Reichel & Drews can help determine whether an E-House solution is worth considering as part of your operation.