With its worldwide online “Eplan L!VE” event on May 14, solutions provider Eplan is once again a guest at Eaton in Hengelo. Enquiring minds can learn firsthand how Eaton’s facilities in the Netherlands streamlined all of its engineering and manufacturing processes for optimal efficiency.
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In only two and a half hours, online attendees will receive a concise overview of how fresh ideas and tried-and-tested solutions for increased productivity look on the ground. The presentation concludes with news about Eplan’s portfolio and strategies.
How can procedures in engineering and switchgear system production be made more efficient? How can production be more automated? These are the questions that Eaton in Hengelo asked itself few years ago. The Dutch facility saw the value of a data-driven strategy and shifted its entire engineering methodology, including processes, to work with Eplan.
Eplan L!VE, which is currently in its third round as an online format, will bring unique insights into this. The tagline “Forward Thinking from Design to Manufacture” will be streamed directly from Eaton’s manufacturing facilities.
Attendees from across the world are invited to this online event to learn about modern manufacturing processes that increase profitability in engineering and manufacturing.
By the way, these tactics are not limited to larger organizations; they are also customized for SMEs. Eaton used a “one step at a time” strategy, and depending on the work at hand, it can all be implemented by smaller control and switchgear system makers.
An in-depth look into engineering and manufacturing
Over 1,500 attendees from all over the world will tune online as Eaton experts demonstrate how the in-house control and switchgear system design and production has been optimized for high levels of automation and efficiency.
The Eplan technologies utilized here play a critical role in ensuring that a standardized foundation of data based on the digital twin is available from initial designs to manufacturing.
And if that weren’t enough, Eaton also uses Eplan Engineering Configuration (EEC) to automatically generate schematics, bills of materials, terminal diagrams and cabling lists – based on a new design methodology using functional engineering.
Whereas the effort previously involved in updating documents linked to the schematics, including bills of materials, terminal diagrams and wiring lists, was immense, now these are all automatically kept up to date with Eplan.
This is possible because everything goes back to a centralised source of data. The company’s deep integration of manufacturing into this process is also bearing fruit – using Eplan Pro Panel, control cabinet layouts are designed in 3D, completely digitally, and the data provided is used for automatic cable routing.
The Wire Terminal WT from Rittal Automation Systems can produce up to 1,000 wires per day, all fully automatically.
The processing of copper rails can also be simplified with machines from Rittal Automation Systems. All the processes for wiring and manufacturing are designed to be extremely efficient and overall processes benefits from greater consistency based on the data from Eplan.
Sneak preview and strategy
These in-depth insights into Eaton’s design and manufacturing processes will be rounded off with a sneak preview of the upcoming Eplan Platform 2026. As just one example, on 14 May attendees with get a first look at how the different views in Eplan Pro Panel accelerate 3D navigation.
Also of interest is the direct access to device data in the Data Portal from Eplan Electric P8 in the future. Last but not least, the new single-line technology in Eplan Preplanning is interesting for users who want to logically link symbols and components in the preplanning phase.
Online event attendees can also expect a glimpse into the future of engineering: Eplan CEO Sebastian Seitz will be presenting Eplan’s future strategy and some highlights on future topics – including use cases on the topic of artificial intelligence.
Background
Eaton as the global intelligent power management company, has been a technology partner in the Eplan Partner Network since 2023 and specialises in the development, production and sales of power distribution systems, LV and MV switchgear systems and control devices at its facilities in Hengelo in the Netherlands.
Eaton additionally provides a large number of its energy systems and components via directly integrated selectors in the Eplan Data Portal. The manufacturer also uses Eplan solutions for its in-house control system and switchgear system design and construction.
Machines from Rittal Automation Systems simplify the company’s manufacturing processes – including the Rittal Wire Terminal WT and machines for processing copper rails.
Click here for free registration for the event, including the invitation video
