New data standard increases device data quality

EPLAN Data Portal: Comprehensive digital data

EPLAN ePULSE brings together the existing and future cloud applications in the portfolio of EPLAN, the engineering specialist. Now the focus is moving to EPLAN Data Portal. A data standard based on eCl@ss Advanced will significantly increase the quality of device and parts data moving forward, thereby opening the door to more standardisation and automation. Monheim, Germany, 6 June 2019: Implementing the highest levels of digitisation in engineering is more of an obligation than a voluntary exercise these days. Achieving it requires high-quality data that include engineering data, manufacturing aspects and commercial information. To ensure users get greater value when using data in the future, EPLAN is currently working on the “EPLAN Data Standard” for device data on its Data Portal. The standard will serve as a common language for component manufacturers and electrical engineers. “Our new data standard firstly defines what type of data component manufacturers should make available,” says Hauke Niehus, Vice President Cloud Business. For typical electrical components this can include a schematic macro, 3D data and connection diagrams. “Furthermore, the standard also defines the content of certain EPLAN data fields,” Niehus adds, “so as to be able to create uniform bills of materials or reliably calculate the control cabinet’s weight using standardised weight data.” “The EPLAN Data Standard will significantly increase the quality of component data in the portal,” says EPLAN CEO Sebastian Seitz. It will require a few core work steps: device selection, schematic creation and creation of bills of materials, weight and climate control calculations, the virtual control cabinet layout as input for modern production methods, and the complete documentation of the machine as well as some logistical processes.

A real-life example:

In an average control cabinet there are around 500 connections that have been laid for the control technology, with various colours, cross-sections and assemblies for the wiring. Preparing and wiring all these connections by hand requires four minutes per wire on average – too long to keep up with today’s competitive pressures. Modern production methods use prefabricated wires from machines, which saves the time of cutting to length by hand and manual assembly. But how does the machine know which individual connections are required? The answer is found in the digital image of the control cabinet. All the components were previously selected in engineering, followed by their electrical engineering representation in the schematic, and finally assembled in 3D in the control cabinet. The connection points and drawings of the components are already described in the 3D layout. Using this component data, the electrical designer can output the colour, length and wiring targets with a mouse click and transfer them to the machine.

Effective support for component manufacturers

The needs of component manufacturers are also incorporated in the EPLAN Data Standard. After all, the effort needed for creating component data isn’t trivial. In this respect, EPLAN connects the requirements of its own data standard with eCl@ss Advanced, a neutral standard for component data. Device data described following eCl@ss Advanced will be made usable in EPLAN software without any additional effort. This way, manufacturers can offer their customers a significant increase in efficiency without having to create any new data themselves, but this naturally requires records in the eCl@ss Advanced format.

Background:

Digitisation is being lived out in control cabinet, machine and plant engineering. Customer quality demands are high while the availability of skilled specialist personnel is limited. To be able to achieve a high level of competitiveness despite this, companies are striving to simplify and automate processes. Control cabinets are designed in 3D, wire lengths are automatically calculated, mounting panels are processed by machines, and much more. Standardised component data are the indispensable foundation for these efficient processes.