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Electrical Terms: Check This Glossary Before You Send an Inquiry
Chinese-English glossary of common terms for control cabinets and distribution cabinets, grouped into enclosure structure, component circuits, and process testing: switchgear, distribution board, circuit breaker, contactor, VFD, busbar, powder coating, withstand voltage, and more — three quick-reference tables.
Why We Built This Glossary
When you talk to overseas buyers or importers, mismatched terminology causes mistakes. This glossary organizes the most common control cabinet and distribution cabinet terms into three groups — enclosure structure, component circuits, and process testing — with Chinese and English side by side, so you can look them up when sending an inquiry or checking drawings.
Enclosure & Structure
| Chinese | English | What it should show |
|---|---|---|
| Low-voltage switchgear assembly | Low-voltage switchgear assembly | General term for LV assemblies |
| Distribution cabinet | Distribution board / panel | Power distribution |
| control cabinets | Control cabinet / panel | Automation control |
| VFD panel | VFD / Inverter cabinet | VFD speed control |
| Sheet metal enclosure | Sheet metal enclosure | Empty enclosure |
| Floor-standing cabinet / wall-mounted cabinet | Floor-standing / Wall-mounted | Installation |
| Double-door / single-door | Double-door / Single-door | Door construction |
| IP rating | Ingress Protection (IP) rating | Ingress protection (IP) rating |
Electrical Components & Circuits
| Chinese | English | What it should show |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit breaker | Circuit breaker (MCB/MCCB) | Overload and short-circuit protection |
| Contactor | Contactor | Frequent switching |
| Relay | Relay | Signal amplification / isolation |
| VFD | Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) | Speed control |
| PLC | Programmable Logic Controller | Programmable control |
| Busbar | Busbar | Current-carrying conductor |
| Primary circuit / secondary circuit | Main circuit / Control circuit | Main circuit and auxiliary circuit |
| Terminal | Terminal | Wiring connection point |
Workmanship & Testing
| Chinese | English | What it should show |
|---|---|---|
| electrostatic powder coating | Electrostatic powder coating | Surface treatment |
| hot-dip galvanizing | Hot-dip galvanizing | substrate corrosion protection |
| laser cutting | Laser cutting | blanking |
| bending | Bending / Forming | forming |
| Welding | Welding | Connect |
| Foam sealing | Foam gasket sealing | gasket |
| Power frequency withstand voltage | Power-frequency withstand voltage | dielectric withstand test |
| Grounding continuity | Ground continuity | Grounding resistance ≤4Ω |
Still have questions beyond the terminology? Ask an engineer directly
Not sure which term or model number you need? Drop us a line by email or WhatsApp and an engineer will explain it directly.
Ask about a termGU Electric (Zhejiang Golden Unicorn Electrical Technology) · No. 27 Huigang Road, Fengchuan Industrial Zone, Tonglu · 5,000 sqm workshop
sales@gu-electric.com · WhatsApp: +86 186 5712 0011 · ISO 9001:2015 · CE (LVD+EMC) · IP65 test report
sales@gu-electric.com · WhatsApp: +86 186 5712 0011 · ISO 9001:2015 · CE (LVD+EMC) · IP65 test report