The most successful control cabinet system

With over 10 million enclosures manufactured so far, the TS 8 is the most successful switchgear system in the world.

"High flexibility, efficiency, quality, and safety – these are the qualities that have made the TS 8 a global bestseller," explains Dr. Thomas Steffen, Managing Director of Research and Development at Rittal.

With the slogan “Finally infinite possibilities,” Rittal launched the TS 8 control cabinet system in 1999 – the beginning of a success story. Today, the modular cabinet is the global standard for control cabinet technology in almost all industries, serving as the basis of the “Rittal – The System.” system. With over 10 million cabinets manufactured, the TS 8 is considered the most successful control cabinet system in the world.

“High flexibility, efficiency, quality, and safety – these are the qualities that have made the TS 8 a worldwide bestseller,” explains Dr. Thomas Steffen, Managing Director of Research and Development at Rittal. The TS 8 control cabinet, which has been produced 10 million times this year, is used in 92 percent of the 1,005 industries worldwide, having conquered nearly all industrial markets in 15 years. Core industries include machinery, control and switchgear manufacturing, the automotive industry, energy sector, as well as information technology and telecommunications. The food and beverage industry, as well as the process industry, are also increasingly focusing on the use of this robust and successful cabinet system.

Prominent companies, including Siemens’ Chemnitz (WKC) plant for combination technology, one of the leading providers of switchgear and engineering services in European machinery manufacturing, rely on the advantages of the system cabinet. “With the TS 8 as the platform of the modular Rittal system and the combinable climate control and power distribution technology, we can meet many customer requirements,” confirms Hans-Peter Kasparick, Head of Manufacturing Engineering at Siemens WKC.

Key success factors of the TS 8 include its great flexibility and efficiency, high quality and safety standards, and worldwide availability.

Great Flexibility and Efficiency

As a platform for the modular “Rittal – The System.” system, solutions for energy distribution, industrial automation, building technology, and data centers can be precisely built thanks to the optimal interaction of components from mechanics, climate, and power. Customers do not need to resort to different cabinet types for various applications but can always benefit from the advantages of a uniform, universally applicable system platform and an accessory kit.

“Our customers can realize customized control cabinet solutions within the shortest time based on the world’s unique accessory program,” explains Dr. Thomas Steffen. He adds, “With the TS 8, almost everything fits and works intuitively due to high standardization and simplicity.” Continuous development has led to additional accessories, such as the Flex-Block base system for tool-free assembly. Clever innovations like positioning aids, single-person assembly, tool-free clip fastenings, and extended mounting spaces for faster assembly of accessories also significantly save time and costs for plant builders.

In addition to the perfect interaction with suitable climate and power distribution components, synergies with other Rittal enclosure types can be utilized based on the TS 8 system platform. For example, plant builders can save considerable time and costs when using the TS 8 stacking system, SE 8 individual cabinets, CM compact cabinets, PC cabinets, and the TP TopPult system by using a unified system accessory set.

High Quality and Safety

Another unique feature of the TS 8 is its exceptionally high corrosion protection, similar to that used in the automotive industry. A three-phase surface treatment with nanoceramic pre-treatment, electrophoretic dip coating, and subsequent powder coating ensures optimal surface protection. The guarantee of high global quality standards and customer satisfaction is the company's own accredited quality laboratory at the headquarters in Herborn, where products are tested for quality and safety according to national and international standards. Thanks to all major international approvals, the TS 8 has access to nearly all industries worldwide.

Worldwide Availability

Initially produced exclusively in Germany, the TS 8 is now also manufactured in four additional countries: England, India, the USA, and China, making it available internationally along with its accessories. 64 Rittal subsidiaries ensure global marketing. Customers appreciate the immediate availability at around 90 warehouse locations worldwide and confirm this as a decisive factor for repeat purchases. With the commissioning of the new Global Distribution Center in Haiger and the new supply center in Korea (Incheon Songdo), Rittal emphasizes its commitment to expanding its international business and maintaining top-level delivery times and availability for the TS 8 worldwide.

From Herborn to New York

The total length of 10 million TS 8 control cabinets, lined up (at 600 mm width), amounts to 6,000 kilometers. This is approximately the distance from Herborn to New York.