If you’ve ever built or serviced an industrial control panel, you’ve probably faced the same challenge: there’s never enough room. Between DIN rail components, wiring ducts, and the tangle of conductors that come with them, enclosures can quickly become cramped, messy, and difficult to work in.
When every inch matters and every wire must be accessible, secure, and compliant, the question becomes: How can you maximize your panel space without compromising safety, accessibility, or performance?
At HESCO, we hear this question often from panel builders, engineers, and maintenance teams who are either designing a new system or trying to clean up an existing one. While there are many ways to improve organization, one of the most effective solutions we’ve seen is rethinking the way DIN rails and wiring ducts are arranged.
That’s where Panduit’s PanelMax DIN Rail Wiring Duct comes in. Instead of mounting the DIN rail directly to the panel with separate wiring ducts on either side, PanelMax integrates the two, placing the DIN rail above a built-in wire management channel. It’s a small change in design philosophy that can deliver up to 30% space savings and a big boost in accessibility.
Why Space Savings Matter in Panel Design
In a traditional setup, you mount your DIN rail to the panel surface and run two separate wiring ducts alongside it. While this works, it’s not space-efficient — you’re dedicating panel real estate to both components and the wiring ducts that serve them.
PanelMax flips that script. By lifting components off the panel and positioning them directly above an integrated duct, you eliminate redundant duct space, shorten wiring runs, and create a cleaner, more compact layout.
This isn’t just about making things look neat. Shorter wire runs mean less material cost. A more organized panel means faster troubleshooting. And a smaller footprint can be the difference between fitting everything into your existing enclosure or paying for a larger, more expensive cabinet.
An Answer That Works With What You Already Use
A big question customers have when they first hear about PanelMax is: “Will this work with the components I already use?”
In most cases, yes. PanelMax is compatible with standard 35mm and 15mm DIN rails and supports a wide range of common DIN-mounted devices: terminal blocks, relays, interface modules, fuse blocks, breakers, and even small PLC I/O modules.
The only real limitations are component width and weight, a maximum of four pounds per foot, which covers the majority of industrial panel applications. That means you can adopt this system without switching to specialty parts or locking yourself into a proprietary ecosystem.
Reducing Labor Time While Improving Quality
Another common concern is installation time. If a product saves space but takes longer to install, it can actually add cost in the long run. This is where PanelMax has a clear advantage.
With a traditional panel build, you mount the DIN rail to the panel, align it, then install wiring ducts on either side. With PanelMax, the DIN rail mounts directly to the duct using self-drilling screws. You’re aligning and fastening both in a single step; Panduit estimates this can cut installation time for duct and rail by up to 50%.
Less time mounting components means more time to focus on wiring quality, testing, and verification, all without extending the project schedule.
Designed for Real-World Industrial Environments
When answering “How can I save space in my control panel?”, we also have to consider: will the solution hold up in an industrial setting?
PanelMax was designed with those conditions in mind:
- Hinged, flexible covers keep wiring secure but open easily for service, with an L-shaped hinge that doubles as a ledge to hold wires during installation.
Slotted platform and sidewalls direct wires efficiently, whether they’re coming from components mounted on the duct or from panel-mounted devices nearby. - Pass-through slots allow wires to move between channels without awkward routing, reducing wire length and clutter.
- Optional wire retainers keep conductors in place even with the cover removed, a big help during maintenance or expansion.
Made from lead-free, UL-compliant PVC with a UL94 V-0 flammability rating, PanelMax is RoHS-compliant and rated for continuous use up to 50°C (122°F), meeting safety and durability standards for most industrial applications.
A Side-by-Side Comparison Tells the Story
Think of two panels controlling the same process.
Panel A uses a traditional setup: DIN rail mounted to the panel, wiring ducts on either side. The wiring paths are long, the duct space is partially unused, and servicing requires removing multiple covers and moving wires out of the way.
Panel B uses PanelMax: components elevated above the integrated duct, wires dropping directly into the channel below, crossovers made neatly through pass-through slots. The footprint is smaller, the layout is cleaner, and future maintenance is faster and less intrusive.
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That’s the real-world difference: it’s not just about the initial build, but how easy the panel will be to live with for the next 10 or 15 years.
Options to Fit Your Build
PanelMax comes in three heights–2", 3", and 4"–each with dual wiring channels. All sizes are sold in 6-foot lengths and include the base, covers, and DIN rail fasteners. Matching replacement covers, wire retainers, and corner strips are also available.
This flexibility means you can tailor the system to your panel’s wiring density: use taller ducts where you expect heavier wiring loads and shorter ones in tighter areas.
Is PanelMax the Answer for Your Panels?
If your control panels are cramped, hard to service, or costly to build because of space constraints, it’s worth asking whether your layout, not just your enclosure size, is the real problem.
Panduit’s PanelMax DIN Rail Wiring Duct is one of the clearest, most practical answers we’ve seen to the question of saving space and improving wiring efficiency. It solves the problem at its root by rethinking how components and wiring can share the same footprint.
It’s not a fit for every scenario; oversized components or unusually heavy devices might still require traditional mounting. But for the vast majority of industrial applications, it offers measurable space savings, reduced labor time, and a cleaner, more maintainable layout.
If you’re ready to see what a 30% smaller DIN rail footprint could mean for your next panel build, HESCO can help you evaluate whether Panduit’s PanelMax is the right fit for your application and supply you with everything you need to make the switch. Get in contact with us today!
