How Digitalizing Industrial Enclosure Design Can Help Automotive Manufacturers Outpace the Competition

July 2, 2024

The need for speed and visibility into industrial automation system design is a top priority for automotive manufacturers, especially with the continued demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and the trend of reshoring manufacturing programs. This is where digitalizing the design of industrial enclosure solutions can help automotive manufacturers create more versatile, flexible automation systems via more efficient, connected workflows.

This article will look at how digitalizing the industrial enclosure design process can help automotive manufacturers outpace the competition by accelerating their speed-to-market and simplifying the process of scaling production to meet market demands.

Design digitalization can help manufacturers retrofit existing facilities for automation

Whether it’s launching new EV production lines or expanding into new automotive markets, retrofitting existing facilities for automation can help manufacturers meet demand faster by eliminating the costs and lead time associated with new construction. However, designing industrial enclosures for retrofitted warehouses can require a high degree of specialization, especially in terms of reducing the footprint of an automation infrastructure.

Such precision and customization means manufacturers need powerful digital design tools that remove the chance for manual errors and create enhanced levels of visibility at each stage of the design process. This kind of digital, automated design sequence offers a detailed level of panel or enclosure visualization necessary for production, particularly when it comes to supporting the customization of complex enclosure systems.   

What’s more, a completely digitalized enclosure design platform makes it faster and easier to modify standard industrial enclosure solutions for any number of highly specialized or environmentally challenging manufacturing applications — this can be key in helping automotive manufacturers bring new factories online without prolonged lead times.

For example, Rittal’s RiPanel online enclosure configuration platform is based entirely in the Eplan Cloud and allows machine and panel builders to import and place individual cut-outs on the enclosure to better incorporate customizations — this helps create maximum transparency and consistency throughout the entire engineering and manufacturing process. RiPanel’s output includes:

  • Bill of materials in CSV format
  • Assembly instructions
  • CAD data – 3D pdf, STEP, and DXF formats
  • Eplan Pro Panel files

In addition, RiPanel provides panel and machine builders with a user-friendly interface, simplified operation, and optimized process efficiency.

Digitalizing industrial enclosure design makes it easier to pair enclosures with the ideal cooling units and accessories

While speed is key for automotive manufacturers to outpace the competition, pairing industrial enclosures with the ideal cooling units and accessories is also critical in maximizing enclosure performance and reliability.

With a more siloed enclosure design process, manufacturers often lack the process and specification visibility necessary to ensure compatibility with both climate control units and enclosure accessories, and this can create unnecessary delays and costs in assembling and installing enclosure systems.

Not only can a more manual design process leave the door open for design errors, it can also make it more challenging for engineers to make design alterations in the event of changes to production parameters or the availability of specified equipment. A digitalized design process provides end-to-end visibility to significantly reduce the likelihood of configuration errors in choosing the most compatible enclosure accessories and cooling units.

For instance, the Rittal RiPanel design platform offers the ability to generate design data sets, including complete data packages with product lists, CAD data with full configuration review, assembly instruction, and machining data via Eplan Pro Panel files. RiPanel configurator also offers verification checks, visual presentations, and 3D modeling to help ensure the accessories you need will easily integrate with your selected enclosure.

Combining RiPanel with the RiTherm cooling unit configuration platform increases the speed and efficiency of configuring and installing energy-efficient cooling units for seamless integration with virtually any industrial enclosure. RiTherm’s platform offers a variety of climate control design features, such as:

  • Calculations and recommendations for suitable enclosure climate control systems for all environmental challenges
  • The option to specify altitude (this influences cooling output), which is ideal for outdoor manufacturing conditions
  • Precise calculation for bayed enclosure suites
  • Recommendations for suitable and corresponding accessories for your enclosure climate control system 

Digitalizing the industrial enclosure design process can help automotive manufacturers create custom industrial enclosure solutions that can quickly be scaled based on demand, and seamlessly integrate with the ideal accessories and cooling units to optimize productivity and stimulate growth.

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