Control panel labels for panel shops and OEMs

What labels does a control panel need?

A control panel needs a main nameplate, disconnect and multi-source markings, device and terminal IDs that match the drawings, operator legend plates, and any required warnings such as arc flash or multiple power sources.

This page is about industrial control panels (UL 508A / NEC Article 409) and machine panels (NFPA 79). For panelboards and switchboards in buildings, see electrical panel labels. Homeowners looking for a residential directory should use breaker box labels.

Label	What it carries	Typical source	Where it goes
Main nameplate	Manufacturer ID, supply V/ph/Hz, FLC, SCCR at max V, enclosure Type, drawing index; service-equipment wording only if built for it	UL 508A markings + NEC 409.110	On the enclosure, plainly visible after install (supply data outside per 2023 NEC 409.110)
Machine nameplate (machinery)	Supplier, model/serial, V/ph/Hz, FLC, largest load, protective-device rating where provided, panel SCCR, drawing nos.	NFPA 79 16.4 (verify the edition your AHJ adopted)	Outside the enclosure or on the machine next to it
Disconnect purpose	What it feeds / which source	NEC 110.22(A); multi-source notes on the nameplate	At each disconnecting means
Device / component IDs	Tag that matches the schematic (FU1, KM1, PB1)	Drawing device schedule	On or next to the device / backpan
Operator legend plates	START, STOP, HAND-OFF-AUTO, E-STOP	Customer standard / NFPA 79 operator marking practice	Behind 22 / 30 mm operators. See legend plates
Arc flash / hazard	Study data or required warning	NEC 110.16 / project. See arc flash labels	Per study / AHJ

UL 508A nameplate fields (SCCR, max voltage, and related markings)

The main industrial control panel nameplate has to carry the listing data the AHJ and the Follow-Up inspector expect, including the short-circuit current rating and the maximum voltage that rating applies at.

In plain language, the plate usually carries:

• Manufacturer name, trademark or file number
• Supply voltage, phase, frequency and full-load current for each incoming supply
• Short-circuit current rating (SCCR) with the maximum voltage that rating applies at
• Industrial control panel designation
• Enclosure Type
• Wiring-diagram or drawing index
• "Suitable for use as service equipment" only when the construction backs it
• Multi-source disconnect notes when more than one disconnect is required to de-energize

UL 508A Supplement SB5.1 is the usual reference for putting SCCR and maximum voltage on the nameplate. Where a high-fault rating depends on a field-installed branch-circuit or feeder protective device, the standard also expects that device type and size to appear on the marking (SB5.1.2 / SB5.1.3 territory; confirm against the edition your shop works to). NEC 409.110 is the installation-code twin: permanent markings visible after install, with supply voltage/phase/frequency/FLC and any multi-source disconnect note attached to the outside of the enclosure under the 2023 NEC.

Check the edition your AHJ adopted. We engrave the data you send. We do not calculate SCCR or issue the UL mark.

Field	Example (fictional shop data)
Manufacturer	ACME PANEL CO.
Designation	ICP-12 / DWG E-401
Enclosure Type	TYPE 12
Supply	480 V 3Ø 60 Hz
FLC	FLC ______ A
SCCR	SCCR: ______ kA RMS SYM. AT ______ V
Drawing no.	E-401 REV C
Serial	SN ______

One thing to be clear on: the UL listing mark comes from UL through your shop's listing, not from us. We engrave the identification plates. We do not supply UL labels.

The SCCR line on the nameplate

The SCCR on the plate is the panel's assembly rating: the lowest applicable power-circuit component or combination after any permitted current-limiting step. It is not the interrupting rating of the main breaker alone.

UL 508A Supplement SB walks the calculation in four steps that shops already know:

1. Identify power-circuit components in each branch (SB4.2).
2. Read marked ratings or use the default table where the standard allows (Table SB4.1). Do not invent default kA values; use the edition you work to.
3. Apply any permitted current-limiting in the feeder (SB4.3).
4. Take the overall panel value (SB4.4) and mark it per SB5.1, with the maximum voltage that rating applies at.

Illustrative wording shops often put on the plate (your procedure and AHJ win): SCCR: 65 kA RMS SYM. AT 480 V. When a high-fault rating depends on a specific fuse class or size, the plate or accompanying marking has to say so. Confirm that wording against SB5.1.2 / SB5.1.3 in your edition.

This is separate from NEC 110.24 available-fault-current field marking on service equipment. That topic lives on the electrical panel labels page.

NFPA 79 machine nameplate

Industrial machinery gets a machine nameplate under NFPA 79 Chapter 16 in addition to, or coordinated with, any UL 508A panel nameplates on the control enclosures.

Clause 16.4 / 16.4.1 (confirm the edition your AHJ adopted; numbering can move between editions) calls for a durable nameplate on the outside of the enclosure or on the machine next to it, carrying:

• Name or trademark of the supplier
• Model, serial number or other designation
• Rated voltage, number of phases and frequency (if AC), and full-load current for each supply
• Ampere rating of the largest motor or load
• Maximum ampere rating of the short-circuit and ground-fault protective device, where provided
• Short-circuit current rating of the industrial control panel
• Electrical diagram number(s) or the index to the drawings

On a multi-panel machine, each listed industrial control panel keeps its own nameplate and SCCR. The machine nameplate and overall SCCR sit on the panel tied to the facility supply. For oversized door and machine plates, see engraved nameplates.

Disconnect marking and device IDs

Every disconnect needs a durable purpose mark unless the purpose is obvious (NEC 110.22(A)). Inside the panel, device tags should use the same designators as the schematic.

Common examples:

• MAIN DISCONNECT / 480 V 3Ø
• CONTROL POWER DISCONNECT
• FU1, KM3, TB-POWER

Multi-source panels need a marking that more than one disconnect is required to de-energize the equipment. That ties to NEC 409.110 practice; put the wording your listing and drawings call for.

Mounting: adhesive on clean painted steel indoors; screws or rivets on doors that get abused or outdoor Type 4/4X. Use 1/16 inch for small device tags and legend plates, and 1/8 inch for door nameplates and anything screwed or riveted. For field equipment outside the enclosure, see equipment tags.

Read the transcript

This is the label builder on Lamacoids USA. Type the tag, pick a size and color, and see it at true size before you order. Line one is the name from the drawings: PANEL EM-1. Line two is the details: 120/208 volt, three phase, four wire. Set 3/8 inch letters and the plate grows to fit. It's an emergency panel, so white on red, 1/8 inch thick. Under finish, pick adhesive back or screw holes. This one gets screws, so holes on, adhesive off. Set the quantity and add it to the list. Nothing is charged here. You get a quote and a PDF proof by email first. Build the rest of the job the same way, or load your panel schedule from a spreadsheet.

How to spec engraved labels on the drawing and BOM

Put every plate on a nameplate schedule, call it out by tag number on the layout, and point the BOM at that schedule. Do not bury legends in a Word file that never makes it into the drawing package.

Required schedule columns (one row per plate):

• Tag number (PB1, DS1, NP-07)
• Legend text line by line, exactly as engraved, including punctuation
• Size (W × H in inches)
• Colors (for example white on black; black on yellow for E-STOP)
• Mounting (adhesive vs hole count/diameter)
• Quantity per panel
• Optional: device the plate belongs to

On the layout, use a tag balloon only. Do not retype the legend on the layout drawing. Add a general note block for material, default thickness/color and "schedule governs." Put a BOM line that references the schedule sheet, revision and tag list.

Letter height: keep text readable from arm's length. On a 1 inch plate, two lines at about 3/16 inch or one line at 3/8 inch are practical. Text below 1/8 inch is hard to read in a dim enclosure. The builder shows text height on every line and flags rows that will not fit.

Common failure modes we see on reorders: symbols lost in CAD export, mixed case on units (480V vs 480 V), schedule/layout tag mismatch, and legends stuck in a separate email thread instead of the drawing package.

Tag	Legend (line by line)	Size	Colors	Mount	Qty
PB1	START	22 mm legend	Black on white	Operator hole	1
PB2	STOP	22 mm legend	Black on white	Operator hole	1
SS1	HAND OFF AUTO	22 mm legend	Black on white	Operator hole	1
PL1	RUN	22 mm legend	White on black	Operator hole	1
DS1	MAIN DISCONNECT 480 V 3Ø	1 x 3 in	White on black	Adhesive	1
ES1	EMERGENCY STOP	30 mm legend	Black on yellow	Operator hole	1

Ordering a labeled kit for a panel build

Order one labeled kit per panel, with plates marked to the same tag numbers as the drawing, so the assembler mounts without sorting a mixed pile.

Load the schedule in the builder (or send a job file the way panel shops already do for legend plates). Add spares as a separate BOM line. We ship labeled and listed on one proof so every plate matches the schedule row before it leaves the shop. Same-day turnaround is available when the proof is approved in time.

Engraved laminate vs printed vinyl on a control panel

Printed vinyl is fine for many indoor IDs. Engraved acrylic two-color laminate is what most Division 26 and machine specs mean by "engraved laminated plastic nameplates," and it holds up better to door rub and washdown. The letters are cut into the plate, so there is no ink on the surface to smear and no film edge to lift.

When the spec names engraved plates, send the schedule here. Read more about the material on what a lamacoid is. See how pricing works for how the builder prices each plate by area and thickness.

Timely notes

Mounting surface and adhesive

Recent guidance from industrial label suppliers stresses matching adhesive and stock to the mounting-surface temperature, and keeping identifiers consistent with the drawings. We agree: match the adhesive or fastener to the surface, keep tag numbers identical to the schematic, and approve a sample when the surface is unusual. When the spec calls for engraved acrylic plates, send the schedule here.

UL Canada certification change (effective 2026-10-01)

UL lists a certification-requirement change for industrial control panels certified for Canada, effective 2026-10-01. Shops shipping panels into Canada should confirm the current CSA path with their NRTL. We still engrave the nameplate data either way. We do not certify panels. Canadian orders go through Llamacoids in Canada.

Common questions

Building panels in Canada? Order from Llamacoids in Canada.

Related products

• Electrical panel labels (panelboards / switchboards / building disconnects)
• Legend plates (22 mm and 30 mm pushbutton legends)
• Engraved nameplates
• Equipment tags
• Arc flash labels
• What a lamacoid is
• Breaker box labels
• Label builder / spreadsheet import
• Pricing
• Contact and bulk quotes