Types of MV Switchgear Panels: A Complete Guide
Choosing the right medium voltage MV switchgear panel starts with knowing the different types and where each one fits. The right choice depends on space budget maintenance ability and the load profile you are protecting. This guide breaks down the main types of MV switchgear used across industrial and commercial facilities in Pakistan.
Air-Insulated Switchgear (AIS)
Air Insulated Switchgear uses air as the main insulating material between live parts. It is the most common MV switchgear type in Pakistan’s industrial sector. It is easy to install, maintain and fix without special gas tools.
- Best for: Facilities with enough space like textile mills, cement plants and sugar mills where floor space is available and maintenance teams are on site.
- Trade-off: AIS panels take up more space than gas insulated types.
Gas-Insulated Switchgear (GIS)
Gas Insulated Switchgear uses SF₆ or another insulating gas instead of air. This allows for a much smaller enclosure. GIS is used where space is limited like underground sites, urban substations or tight facilities.
- Best for: Urban power lines, small setups and ring main units in crowded commercial areas.
- Trade-off: Higher cost and special handling for the gas during maintenance.
Metal-Clad Switchgear
Metal clad switchgear separates the circuit breaker, busbar and control parts into separate grounded sections. This design improves safety. It limits how far an internal arc fault can spread. It also lets you fix one section without turning off the whole panel.
- Best for: Industrial plants and utility substations where keeping power on during maintenance matters. You can isolate one section and work on it while the rest stays live.
Ring Main Units (RMU)
A Ring Main Unit is a small, fully enclosed switchgear unit made for ring network systems. In this setup power can reach a load from two directions. If a fault happens on one side the RMU isolates only that part while power keeps flowing from the other side.
- Best for: Urban and semi urban power networks, underground cable systems and any site that cannot handle a full outage from one feeder fault.
Vacuum Circuit Breaker (VCB) Panels
Rather than a separate “type” of switchgear, VCB refers to the interruption technology used inside AIS or metal-clad panels. Vacuum circuit breakers use a vacuum-sealed chamber to extinguish the arc when the breaker opens — a maintenance-friendly, long-life alternative to older oil or air-blast breaker designs.
- Best for: Facilities that want low-maintenance circuit protection with a long mechanical operating life — increasingly the default choice across most new MV installations in Pakistan.
How to Choose the Right Type for Your Facility
| Factor | Favors AIS | Favors GIS/Compact |
| Available floor space | Ample space | Limited/urban space |
| Maintenance team on-site | Yes | Not always required |
| Budget priority | Lower upfront cost | Higher upfront, lower footprint cost |
| Installation environment | Indoor industrial | Underground/urban |
For most textile, cement, and sugar mill applications in Pakistan — where facilities typically have dedicated electrical rooms with adequate space — air-insulated, metal-clad switchgear with vacuum circuit breakers remains the standard, cost-effective choice. Compact GIS solutions become more relevant for urban commercial buildings or space-constrained retrofit projects.
Talk to FICO Engineering
FICO Engineering has manufactured MV and LV switchgear panels in Gujranwala for over 70 years, supplying 823+ customers across Pakistan’s textile, cement, sugar, and healthcare sectors. Our engineering team can help you specify the right switchgear type for your facility’s load profile and space constraints.