The EPLAN Data Standard

December 16, 2019

When control cabinets are being designed in 3D, wire lengths automatically calculated, or mounting panels processed by machines, standardised component data is required. These data are also the foundation for the digital twin, which is becoming increasingly indispensable in the product life cycle. The EPLAN Data Standard defines the type of component data required to automate and simplify processes in (pre)planning, engineering, manufacturing and maintenance. Users benefit from a significant increase in quality in EPLAN Data Portal with the new standard, and manufacturers are being optimally supported – the Data Creation Tool based on eCl@ss Advanced offers them an import option that significantly simplifies data provision.

First data already available

Several thousand updated component data, with a focus on manufacturing integration, are already available in the new EPLAN Data Standard for the SPS. This includes, for instance, a schematic macro, a 3D file and connection diagrams for typical electrical components. Rittal is one of the trailblazers in this and has already integrated initial data for control and switchgear systems as of 26 November. Renowned component manufacturers including ABB, IFM, LAPP, Phoenix Contact, Puls, SEW-Eurodrive, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Wago, Weidmüller, Wieland and others are already implementing the standard – they all recognised the need for comprehensive, standardised data early on. The optimised, standardised data sets can be used to create complete bills of materials or to reliably calculate the weight of the control cabinet using defined weight specifications as just two examples.

A practical example

Around five hundred connections must be laid for the control technology in an average control cabinet – all with different colours, cross-sections and wire processing. Preparing and wiring all of the connections manually requires an average of four minutes per wire, which takes too long to keep up with the competition. Modern production methods get prefabricated wires from machines, saving the effort and time required for manually cutting to length and assembly. But how does the machine know which individual connections exist? The answer lies in the digital twin of the control cabinet, in which all the components were selected in engineering, presented with their characteristics in the schematics and subsequently assembled in the control cabinet in 3D. The connection points and designations for the components are already described in the 3D layout. Using this component data, the electrical designer can output the colours, lengths and wiring targets for the connections with a mouse click and transfer them to the processing machine.

Find out more at: www.epulse.com