IEC 61439: who is actually responsible for your panel
IEC 61439 does not put one party in charge of everything. It splits responsibility between whoever defined and validated the underlying system design and whoever assembled the specific panel in front of you — and that split has to be visible in the paperwork, not just implied. This page explains the concept so you know what to ask before you sign off on a build.
How the responsibility split plays out on a real build
System design is defined and validated
An original manufacturer establishes the type solution — component compatibility, construction rules, the aspects that get validated once and reused across many panels.
A specific panel is assembled to that design
The partial manufacturer — the role a panel builder like PanelCraft occupies — assembles an actual cabinet to the validated design, for your project's components and layout.
Deviations get owned, not glossed over
Any change from the original design — a different device, a different enclosure, a routing decision — becomes the assembling party's responsibility to assess and document.
Documentation shows who verified what
The delivered file should let you trace which aspects were covered by the original design validation and which were checked specifically for your build, rather than one unattributed sign-off.
Why the OEM/PEM split matters when you're buying a panel
Two roles, two sets of responsibility
IEC 61439 assigns responsibility to whoever actually did the work — the party that validated the system design, and the party that assembled your specific cabinet to it, including any deviations.
Dielectric properties and internal circuits
Clearances, creepage distances, protection against electric shock and internal circuit layout are usually design-level aspects — know whether they came from the original design validation or a build-specific check.
IP rating of the enclosure
An IP rating like IP44 or IP65 is a recognised way to describe ingress protection — which class actually applies depends on the installation environment and the applicable standard for that project, not a default we assign here.
Temperature rise in your specific configuration
How devices heat up depends on what's installed and how densely — this is exactly the kind of aspect where it matters whether the check covers your actual device layout or a generic reference configuration.
Deviations from the reference design
Swapping a device model, changing enclosure dimensions, or altering internal routing are permitted — but each one shifts responsibility for that specific point onto whoever made the change.
Traceable paperwork, not a single stamp
Good documentation attributes each verified aspect to the party responsible for it, so a buyer or inspector can follow the chain instead of taking a single generic declaration on faith.
What we clarify before a build starts
A short conversation up front, not a legal opinion after the fact.
- Which aspects sit with the original system design
- Which aspects are specific to your assembled panel
- How any requested deviations get assessed and recorded
- What documentation ships with the finished panel
- Where to go for the verification-method and commissioning detail
Frequently asked questions
Is PanelCraft the original manufacturer or the partial manufacturer?
On most projects PanelCraft occupies the partial manufacturer role — assembling a specific panel to a validated system design, and taking responsibility for that assembly and any deviations from the reference design. Which party holds which role can vary by project setup, and we say plainly which applies to yours.
Does this page tell me exactly how verification testing is done?
No — that's covered on our dedicated IEC 61439 panel verification page. This page is specifically about who is responsible for which aspect, not the mechanics of testing, calculation or design-rule verification.
If I ask for a component substitution, who takes on the liability for that?
The party that makes the deviation is responsible for assessing it against the original design's validated basis and documenting the outcome. That's a core reason the responsibility split exists — so a requested change doesn't quietly ride on someone else's original validation.
Can you name the exact IP rating or current rating my panel needs?
Not in general terms — that always depends on the project: installation environment, applicable standard, and the components selected. We work it through with you during quoting rather than quoting a fixed figure here.
Does this cover RCD or MCB type selection (AC/A/F/B types)?
No, deliberately. Type selection and leakage-current testing are their own topic, covered elsewhere on the site. Here we only note them as devices whose verified role forms part of the panel's overall documentation.
Want the responsibility split confirmed for your specific project?
Send us your panel scope and we'll walk through which aspects sit with the original design and which are specific to your build, before anything is assembled.