Electricity + Control September 2019

round up

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION + SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

Software supports collaborative engineering

Users can take advantage of the benefits of the established Eplan platform and at the same time access cloud-based services such as Eplan eView and Eplan Cogineer. EPLAN provides software and service solutions in the fields of electrical, automation and mechatronic engineering. As the developer of one of the world´s leading design software solutions for machine and panel builders, EPLAN is also an ideal partner to streamline challenging engineering processes. The software provides standardised as well as customised interfaces to ERP and PLM/ PDM systems to ensure data consistency along the whole value chain and allows for communication across all engineering disciplines. Founded in 1984, EPLAN is part of the owner-operated Friedhelm Loh Group which operates worldwide with 18 production sites and 80 international subsidiaries. Globally, EPLAN supports over 55 000 customers, big and small, driving progressive integration and automation in engineering. In South Africa it is represented by Johannesburg-based EPLAN Software & Service. Enquiries: contact Johan Reyneke. Tel: +27 (0)83 925 2054, email: Reyneke.J@eplan-software.co.za

any application-specific formats or data structures. For instance, users could be machines for control cabinet processing or wire processing, or employees who are carrying out the wiring with the help of digital information. During the operating phase, the goal is to maximise system availability and minimise downtime in case of system failures. QR codes on installed components assist in finding them in the system and make their attributes – including part numbers and technical data for sourcing replacement parts – available anywhere in the system and at any time, via tablet or smartphone. Collaboration Eplan ePulse supports these scenarios. If project data is saved there, it can be accessed at any time and from any location. By enabling users to transfer data generated in the used applications to the cloud simply, the Eplan platform opens up an innovative collaborative approach. The Eplan Project can be shared in Eplan eView with collaborating partners. Companies can be networked with their customers and suppliers and data exchange becomes easy and secure. The project thus becomes the central digital model of an automation solution that is built with various applications such as Eplan Electric P8, Eplan Pro Panel or Eplan Fluid, and is available as the single source of information. It provides the necessary data for all downstream processes.

Digitisation and digital transformation offer multiple practical advantages in engineering. The services of the Eplan platform can be used from design through various applications and users can tap into the added value of cloud-based services at the same time; the platform provides for data created in the used applications to be transferred to the cloud with the click of a mouse. The central goals of digitalisation include optimising processes, enhancing efficiency and increasing the availability of machines and systems. Continuing development of the Eplan platform supports this process. In the engineering phase, the focus is on the digital twin of a control cabinet, for example. The basis for this is high-quality 3D data that represents the housing and accessories that are supplemented with component and wiring information relevant to the project. Data can be exported without any media disruption and used in other sub-processes, such as manufacturing, including wiring. Interdisciplinary engineering also offers significant potential for optimisation. This makes it possible to store information in a central location – in the Eplan Project – including saving parameter data of smart sensors and using it in downstream processes. Open exchange format Open, standardised interfaces, such as Automation Markup Language (AML), make the data available to any user without

The EPlan platform includes different software applications and provides for easy access and collaboration across engineering disciplines.

Electricity + Control

SEPTEMBER 2019

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