Free job simulation · Electrical and energy
Control panel design engineer job simulation
A control panel design engineer job simulation is practice at taking a specification to a build-ready panel. For a simulated packaging machine you complete the cable schedule, check the general arrangement drawing and parts list, calculate heat, handle a client's drive swap and read the routine test results. An EDWartens Lab panel exercise supports the wiring work. It is practice, not paid employment or standards certification.
You join Calderfield Panel Systems Ltd (simulated company), a control panel design and build in Wolverhampton. Days 1 to 5 are free, with about 10 h 15 min of tickets. Premium continues to day 20. It is practice, not employment.
Days 1 to 5 are free. You need a free account and no card. Create an account.
- Free days
- 1 to 5
- Free tickets
- about 10 h 15 min
- Project documents
- 8
- Certificate, optional
- £14.99
The project
You join Calderfield Panel Systems Ltd (simulated company)
Calderfield Panel Systems Ltd (simulated company) is a control panel design and build in Wolverhampton. You help its team deliver a project for Ternworth Packaging Machinery Ltd, at Machine control panel PNL-1042 for the CP-300 case packer.
You are the junior design engineer on one machine control panel. In four weeks you size the cables, check the GA drawing and the parts list, work out the heat in the enclosure, and meet a motor that does not match the drawing. The client then swaps the drive after procurement and you control the change: heat, space, wiring, protection and documents. A contactor has a 20 week lead time, the factory test finds an insulation failure on the day before shipping, and sales wants to ship anyway. You review the routine test certificate, walk the panel against the machine wiring standard and hand over a design pack. The skill is to keep every number and revision honest.
What you will do
- Size cables and breakers, choose wire colours and check a GA drawing and a parts list
- Work out the heat in an enclosure by the IEC TR 60890 method and choose a fan-filter
- Control a client's drive swap: heat, space, wiring, protection and revised documents
- Read routine test results, refuse to ship a failed test and review a test certificate
- Walk a machine panel against IEC 60204-1 and hand over a design pack
The people you deal with
- Lead Panel Design Engineercompany
- Panel Shop Managercompany
- Workshop Supervisorcompany
- Quality Inspectorcompany
- Client Project Engineerclient
- Client Purchasing Managerclient
- Component Supplier Salesvendor
The company, client and site are fictional. The people are fictional too.
Look inside
What the simulator looks like
The workplace, your tickets, the documents and the team chat, as a learner sees them.
Start in the workplace, with the team around you. 
Today: the morning email and your tickets for the day. 
Work: every ticket, by day, with its status. 
A ticket, written the way a colleague would write it. 
A project document with its number, revision and status. 
Ask a colleague. They are AI colleagues: they help you think, they do not hand out answers.
Screenshots from the simulator. Company, people and data are fictional. Portraits are AI-generated.
Meet the team
The colleagues you work with
You can read their messages and ask them questions. They are AI colleagues, clearly labelled. They help you think a ticket through; they do not hand out its answer.
- ECElaine ChadwickLead Panel Design EngineerSimulated colleague, company side
- BCBernadette CullenWorkshop SupervisorSimulated colleague, company side
- RGRaymond GillespiePanel Shop ManagerSimulated colleague, company side
- ABAnil BhandariQuality InspectorSimulated colleague, company side
- FJFreya JorgensenClient Project EngineerSimulated colleague, client side
- CBColm BranniganClient Purchasing ManagerSimulated colleague, client side
- KLKieran LambeComponent Supplier SalesSimulated colleague, vendor
Fictional people. Portraits are AI-generated.
What you get
What you walk away with
Design, build and test a machine control panel, from cable schedule to routine test certificate.
What you produce
Cable schedule
Cable schedule
Wire colour schedule by circuit
Wiring standard check
Heat dissipation calculation
Heat calculation
Request for information to the client
RFI
IEC 61439 design verification route
Design verificationPremium
Change impact note for a client drive change
Change controlPremium
Non-conformance report
Non-conformancePremium
Panel design pack
CapstonePremium
Skills you practise
- Control panel design
- Applying standards
- Testing and acceptance
- Document and revision control
- Inspection and testing
- Reading specifications
- Working with clients and stakeholders
- Safety and safe systems of work
Roles to look for
- Control Panel Design Engineer
- Electrical Design Engineer (Controls)
- Panel Test and Quality Technician
- Electrical CAD Technician
543 live openings on the UK jobs board, checked 24 Oct 2026. See the jobs
Your proof
- A certificate anyone can verify. Optional, and included in Premium.
- An entry on your EDWartens profile under Work experience, marked as a job simulation.
- A work record with your skill scores, with Premium.
Free courses that go with it
- Free course Electrical Control Panel Design, Building and Testing
- Free course Electrical Design Engineering: Loads, Cables, Breakers and Distribution
- Free course Industrial Motor Control
- Free course Electrical and Instrumentation QA/QC Inspection
- Free course Variable Frequency Drives: Wiring, Programming, PLC and Network Control
What you can talk about at interview
- You can explain how you size cables and check the heat in a panel enclosure.
- You can describe how you wrote a request for information and a change impact note to a client.
- In Premium, you can talk through a routine test record, a failed insulation test and a non-conformance report.
Day by day
Days 1 to 5, ticket by ticket
Self-paced. A day opens when you hand in the previous day's tickets. Every ticket is checked, and you see the model answer after it.
Day 1
about 2 h- Induction: panel shop safety and the standards we work toQuiz · 45 min
- Complete the cable scheduleTable · 1 h 15 min
Day 2
about 1 h 30 min- Wire and commission a motor starter in the panel labHand-in · 1 h 30 min
Day 3
about 2 h 20 min- Check the general arrangement drawing Rev CDocument review · 1 h 20 min
- Choose the wire colour for each circuitTable · 1 h
Day 4
about 1 h 30 min- Heat dissipation: does the panel need a fan?Calculation · 1 h 30 min
Day 5
about 2 h 55 min- The extraction fan does not match the drawingDecision · 35 min
- Write the request for information to the clientWriting · 1 h
- Check the parts list before the buyer ordersDocument review · 1 h 20 min
Premium: days 6 to 20about 22 h 55 min more
After day 5 the project goes on with a change request, site work, faults, a handover and a capstone reviewed by an engineer.
Day 6
about 1 h 20 min- IEC 61439 design verification: the route for each characteristicTable · 1 h 20 min
Day 7
about 1 h 10 min- Approve the alternative contactor?Table · 1 h 10 min
Day 8
about 1 h 40 min- Change impact note: the client's drive replaces the specified oneWriting · 1 h 40 min
Day 9
about 1 h 30 min- Recalculate the heat and the spare area with the client's driveCalculation · 1 h 30 min
Day 10
about 1 h 20 min- Check the revised GA Rev D before releaseDocument review · 1 h 20 min
Day 11
about 1 h 40 min- Wire and commission the drive: mains, motor, safe torque offHand-in · 1 h 40 min
Day 12
about 1 h 30 min- Fault-find a starter that will not run on the test benchHand-in · 1 h 30 min
Day 13
about 1 h 20 min- Routine tests: pass or fail for each circuitTable · 1 h 20 min
Day 14
about 2 h 10 min- Ship on Friday with a failed insulation test?Decision · 40 min
- Write the non-conformance reportWriting · 1 h 30 min
Day 15
about 1 h- Does the heat calculation match the heat run?Calculation · 1 h
Day 16
about 1 h 20 min- Check the routine test certificate before it is signedDocument review · 1 h 20 min
Day 17
about 1 h 10 min- IEC 60204-1 walk-round: does each item comply?Table · 1 h 10 min
Day 18
about 4 h- Capstone: the design packHand-in · 4 h
Day 19
about 1 h- Voltage drop on the site cablesCalculation · 1 h
Day 20
about 45 min- A conversation about your own workViva · 45 min
Real documents
The documents you will work with
Each one has a number, a revision and an approver, the way a project document does. You read them, check them and write your own.
PNL1042-URS-001
User requirement specification, machine panel PNL-1042
Rev 1URS
PNL1042-STD-001
Panel design rules used on this project
Rev 4Company standard
PNL1042-LDL-001
Load list and motor data
Rev BLoad list
PNL1042-CBL-001
Cable schedule, loads and run lengths
Rev ACable schedule
PNL1042-GA-001
General arrangement, door and mounting plate
Rev CGA drawing
PNL1042-SCH-001
Schematic set index and power sheets, summary
Rev BSchematic
PNL1042-BOM-001
Parts list (bill of materials), main items
Rev BBOM
PNL1042-HTC-001
Heat dissipation calculation sheet
Rev AHeat calculation
Documents that arrive in Premiumchange requests, records, handover
PNL1042-DVR-001
Design verification record, IEC 61439
Rev ADesign verificationPremium
PNL1042-ALT-001
Request to approve an alternative contactor
Rev AAlternative part approvalPremium
PNL1042-ECR-001
Client change: drive VSD-1 replaced after procurement
Rev AChange requestPremium
PNL1042-GA-001
General arrangement, door and mounting plate, drive changed
Rev DGA drawingPremium
PNL1042-FAT-001
Routine verification record and heat run, draft
Rev ATest recordPremium
PNL1042-NCR-001
Non-conformance facts from the factory test
Rev ANon-conformancePremium
PNL1042-RTC-001
Routine test certificate and rating plate data, draft
Rev ARoutine test certificatePremium
PNL1042-CHK-001
Machine panel check against IEC 60204-1, facts as built
Rev ACompliance checklistPremium
PNL1042-HOV-001
Design pack handover requirements
Rev AHandover indexPremium
Tools
In the industry, and here
| In the industry | Here |
|---|---|
| Electrical CAD for schematics and layouts | Drawings and schedules as documents you read, check and complete |
| Enclosure thermal calculation tools | Heat calculations you work by hand from stated factors |
| Insulation tester and continuity tester | Routine test records you judge, and EDWartens Lab's panel exercises for wiring and fault finding |
| Parts list and cable schedule spreadsheets | Registers you complete and review |
Standards
The standards the work follows
- IEC 61439-1
- IEC 61439-2
- IEC 60204-1
- IEC TR 60890
- IEC 60947-1
In the UK
The Control Panel Design Engineer role in a UK setting
Who employs this kind of engineer: Control panel builders, machine builders, systems integrators and electrical contractors with a panel shop.
Where: Industrial regions such as the North West, Yorkshire, the Midlands, Scotland and the South West have many panel builders, often close to the machine builders they supply. This is context, not a statement about vacancies.
UK standards and regulations to know about
BS EN 61439-1 and -2
Low-voltage assemblies, including design verification and routine verification.
BS EN 60204-1
Electrical equipment of machines.
BS EN 60529
Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (the IP code).
Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008
The rules for machinery supplied in Great Britain. Check the current marking requirements on gov.uk.
PUWER 1998
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations: equipment must be suitable, maintained and safe to use. HSE guidance L22 explains them.
Schemes to be aware of
ECS card (Electrotechnical Certification Scheme)
The industry card that many UK electrotechnical employers and sites ask to see. It is linked to qualifications and a health and safety assessment. EDWartens does not issue it, and this simulation does not lead to it.
These are named so that you recognise them. A job simulation does not teach them as a qualification, the tasks use simplified data, and you should always read the current edition of anything you rely on.
Your proof, optional
A certificate you can verify
The free days are free. The graded, verifiable certificate is an optional extra, and it is included in Premium.
- A graded, verifiable certificate with your score and band
- A public verification page and QR code
- One-click add to LinkedIn as a licence or certification
- Issued by WARTENS LTD. It is a training certificate, not an accredited qualification, and the company is simulated
Optional: £14.99 including VAT, once you pass.
Job Simulation Certificate
Your name
completed the Control Panel Design Engineer job simulation at Calderfield Panel Systems Ltd (simulated company). Your score and band are shown on the real certificate.
- Number
- EDW-JS-0000
- Issued by
- WARTENS LTD
Not an accredited qualification. A verification page and QR code are printed on the real certificate.
Prepare
Free courses and labs that get you ready
Linked from the tickets that need them. You can read them before you start.
Free courses
- Electrical Control Panel Design, Building and Testing
- Industrial Motor Control
- Wiring Regulations in Practice: BS 7671 and IEC 60364
- Electrical Safety at Work (UK): Safe Isolation, Lock-off and Arc Flash
- Electrical Design Engineering: Loads, Cables, Breakers and Distribution
- EPLAN Electric P8 and Pro Panel
- Electrical Fundamentals for Technicians: Volts to Multimeter to Drawings
- Electrical and Instrumentation QA/QC Inspection
EDWartens Lab guides
The hands-on tickets are finished in EDWartens Lab, then you record the figures and upload a FAT sheet or notes for checking. Nothing is marked as passed on the lab's say-so.
A course that goes with this role
Professional Module
A paid course in PLC, HMI and WinCC SCADA programming with Siemens TIA Portal, taught live online by an instructor. It is a separate product: you do not need it to finish the job simulation, and it does not lead to a job. Its certificate is a certificate of completion, not a regulated qualification.
- Price
- £2,568 including VAT (£2,140 + VAT)
- Format
- Live online, five days, with self-paced modules after
About the Control Panel Design Engineer role
Heat calculation worked through
Every component in a panel gives off heat, and the enclosure sheds it at a rate that depends on its size and the surrounding air. If the internal temperature would exceed component limits, you add a fan, a filter or cooling.
In the simulation you add up the losses, compare them with the enclosure's dissipation using the stated factors of IEC TR 60890, and decide whether a fan is needed. A client later swaps the drive after procurement, and you recalculate heat and spare mounting area. A heat run on the test bench then checks your calculation against reality.
Wire numbering and the terminal plan
Many junior errors are not in the schematic but in the wiring conventions: wire colours by circuit, consistent numbering, and a terminal plan that matches the drawing.
You choose wire colours for each circuit, complete the cable schedule from loads and run lengths, and check the parts list before the buyer orders. One case has an extraction fan on the drawing that does not match the one fitted, which you handle by raising a written request for information, not by guessing.
GA drawing and parts list checklist
A general arrangement drawing shows the enclosure, door and mounting plate layout with dimensions. The parts list ties every symbol to a purchasable item.
You review a GA drawing with mistakes, check the revised drawing after the client's change before release, and approve or decline an alternative contactor against the requirement. Reviewing is a core skill, because a design office releases drawings to the workshop only after a check.
The pack also includes the design verification record, so you see how each check feeds the next.
IEC 61439 in plain words, and what it does not cover
IEC 61439 is the standard family for low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies, and IEC 61439-1 sets the general rules. Design verification shows that an assembly meets the standard, by test, calculation or approved design rules for each characteristic.
Machine panels also follow IEC 60204-1, the electrical equipment of machines, and the simulation includes a walk-round against it. The standard is not a substitute for the project's own specification, so keep both open.
Keep the checklist items short and measurable so a second person can repeat them.
Where panel design leads
Panel designers grow towards project engineering, electrical design leadership or specialist drawing roles. Employers differ widely in how much experience they ask for, so show evidence of the whole chain.
The linked roles, electrical design and the PLC programmer, work with the same drawings. The free courses cover panel design and building, drives and wiring regulations.
Keep your heat calculation, your reviewed GA drawing and your routine test notes. They show you can carry a design from requirement to release, and they are a good base for learning a drawing tool.
Keep going
Related job simulations and courses
Electrical Design Engineer
Load list, single-line diagram, cable sizing and a late design change.
PLC Programmer
Write the I/O list, program the line, run the FAT and handle a change request.
Maintenance Electrical Engineer
Work orders, safe isolation, fault finding and a root-cause report.
- Engineering job simulations
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Content reviewed 19 Oct 2026; UK context added 21 Oct 2026. Practice, not employment.
Questions
Quick answers
What does a control panel design engineer do?
They select components and an enclosure, create schematics and layouts, check compliance, calculate heat, produce a bill of materials and drawings, and support testing. The job sits between the requirement and the workshop.
How do you do a panel heat calculation?
Add up the heat losses of the components, compare them with the enclosure's natural dissipation for its size and ambient temperature, and add cooling, such as a fan, filter or air conditioner, if the internal temperature would exceed component limits. The simulation gives the factors, so you practise the method.
What is IEC 61439?
It is a standard family for low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies. Job advertisements cite IEC or BS EN 61439 for panels, so confirm its scope for your project.
Which drawing software should I learn?
Job advertisements name several electrical drawing tools. Learn the concepts first, meaning symbols, wire numbering, parts lists and reports, then the tool your target employer uses.
What is a GA drawing?
A general arrangement drawing shows the enclosure layout and dimensions, including the door and the mounting plate. It is what the workshop builds the panel from.
What tests happen before a panel is delivered?
A routine test, covering visual and wiring checks, insulation and protective circuit checks, and functional testing, according to your standard. The simulation includes a failed insulation test and asks if you would still ship.
Is panel design an entry-level job?
Some advertisements accept qualifications or equivalent experience, and others ask for many years. Show project evidence that covers the full chain.
Which UK rules apply to machine control panels?
Machine panels are usually built to BS EN 60204-1, with assemblies covered by BS EN 61439. Machinery supplied in Great Britain must also meet the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, and equipment in use at work falls under PUWER 1998. The simulation uses the IEC versions of these ideas as a map, so always read the current standards.
Do I need to know a CAD package?
No. The simulation uses documents you read, check and complete, plus a wiring exercise in EDWartens Lab. It teaches the checks any CAD package depends on.
Is the panel builder a real one?
No. Calderfield Panel Systems and Ternworth Packaging Machinery are made-up companies. The documents, calculations and situations follow what a junior panel design engineer meets.
Does it use real standards?
It follows the structure of IEC 61439, IEC 60204-1 and IEC TR 60890. The limits and factors used in the exercises are stated in the documents so that every answer can be worked out from them.
How long does it take?
The free week is about ten hours over five days. The full Premium edition runs over twenty working days and about thirty to forty hours, at your own pace.
What do I get at the end?
A work record with scores by task and skill, which shows on your EDWartens profile under Work experience, marked as a job simulation.
Is the Control Panel Design Engineer job simulation free?
Yes, to start. Days 1 to 5 are free. The certificate (£14.99) and the Premium edition (£53.99) are optional, and both prices include VAT.
Does it count as work experience?
No. It is a training project at a simulated company, not employment, an internship or a placement. A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship or a work placement, and it is not a job offer. Hours are active hours the learner logged on EDWartens UK.
A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship or a work placement, and it is not a job offer. Hours are active hours the learner logged on EDWartens UK.
Start the Control Panel Design Engineer job simulation today
Days 1 to 5 are free. No card to start. Practice, not employment.