Inspiring insights into the future of engineering

Not only did Eplan Copilot and Eplan Smart Sourcing celebrate their premieres – attendees also got a sneak peek of the upcoming Eplan Platform 2027. High-profile speakers, experts from Eplan, users, decision-makers and Eplan business partners engaged in intensive discussions about the hottest topics for the engineering of the future during the two-day festival.

Attendees were able to gain first-hand accounts of how leading industry innovators such as DMG MORI, Eaton and Siemens are preparing for the challenges of the future and which tools the special machine builders and control cabinet manufacturers already use today to succeed in the competitive landscape of tomorrow.

Of particular note, the Future Lab feature showcased groundbreaking new developments as well as a range of future technologies – for instance an auto panel design tool that generates a basic mounting panel design direct from an initial bill of materials. Using this as the foundation, a suitable housing can be selected and a reliable cost estimate produced with minimal effort, even during the bidding phase.

Another highlight was a software supported production workstation that enables even less-experienced employees to build control cabinets to a very high quality standard – reliably, transparently and in compliance with all individual customer requirements. Topics including the Siemens Teamcenter integration and advanced machine engineering were also presented at the Future Lab – creating a direct link between mechanical engineering, product data management (PDM) and electrical control technology (CAE/TIA).

Eplan also used the event for an exclusive preview of the new Eplan Platform 2027, the development of which has incorporated around 500 customer requirements. It’s been designed to further accelerate electrical engineering projects across three process stages: preplanning, electrical engineering and control cabinet engineering. In terms of component procurement, Eplan Smart Sourcing also offers a new and highly automated solution that celebrated its German premiere at the Eplan Next26. One practical benefit is that the tool makes it clear during the design phase where and how quickly the required parts can be sourced. In various Master Classes, users were able to explore the software’s new features and topics including control cabinet design, efficient machine cabling, and digital product structuring.

On the Partner Plaza, a supporting specialist trade exhibition, more than twenty companies – including ABB, Phoenix Contact, Rittal, Rockwell Automation, Siemens and Weidmüller – showcased their innovations designed to simplify and automate engineering within the Eplan ecosystem. Data consistency played a key role here and it is becoming clear that only these intelligent connections make it possible to implement the complete digital twin in engineering. As several speakers emphasised, the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) is increasingly playing a central role as a standardised transmission channel.

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