SUPPLEMENT ENCLOSURE & PANEL BUILDING SOLUTIONS


RITTAL MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS REDUCE TIME & COSTS FOR CONTROL PANEL MANUFACTURING


E


lectrical control manufacturers are currently being placed under considerable


pressure. Projects are becoming more complex, the trading environment is extremely competitive, and customers naturally want to keep their costs to a minimum. The pressures (and costs) start from the


moment a manufacturer’s estimating engineers receive details of a new project. A typical specification has more than 300 pages which take approximately 54 hours just to read through (source: Stuttgart University). Delivering a control panel build takes a


substantial number of man-hours, resources and again, of course, costs. Simply preparing engineering and schematic drawings for client approval might involve: • Incorporating client changes (potentially time-consuming and complex)


• Project adjustments • Close co-ordination between design and manufacturing teams


• Using standard products wherever possible. Key challenges for the next step – the


manufacturing phase - include managing resources within tight timescales. There is no doubt that rising demand in


the sector is being matched by a trend for shorter lead times. Meanwhile, the sector is experiencing long-term major shortages in skilled workers so recruitment has become more problematic, particularly for short-term contracts on major projects. The most time-intensive phase of a typical


control panel is usually wiring (preparing wires, reading drawings for routing points and termination) which takes up around half the time.


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Design and engineering take up around 10 percent of the time. In addition, there are further modifications including the number of cut-outs and the holes for door fixings to be accounted for.


RITTAL COST-SAVING MEASURES There are two ways in which Rittal can considerably reduce the manufacturing costs of a control panel. These are: 1. Optimise the engineering and schematic design phase using EPLAN software


2. Automate the processing of wires ready for installation.


1. EPLAN Design & Manufacturing Software Wiring control cabinets will always remain a job for skilled and experienced staff, but it can be made easier. If the control panel is designed with EPLAN Pro


Panel, the engineer can visualise the route of each individual wire in 3D, to optimise the pathway and for easy installation. It also ensures that the trunking capacity is not exceeded and that the correct cable separation takes place. EPLAN Pro Panel easily and automatically


generates lists that provide all the necessary information to engineer, including the routing, end points, cable designation, as well as the size and colour of each wire. The lists make wiring easier and faster and significantly reduce the chance of errors – and fewer errors translate into significant time-savings during testing. Another major benefit is uniformity. The


detailed wiring lists ensure that two or more of the same control cabinets have identical wiring, making life a lot easier during later modifications or fault-finding.


 EPLAN Pro Panel with EPLAN Smart Wiring


also allows users to see the wires during wiring on their laptop or tablet, while their progress is mapped, tracked and displayed in real time. This means it is virtually impossible to miss wires, even if a wiring job starts with one person and another finishes it. EPLAN P8 can create 3D layouts of an


electrical system in Pro Panel. This virtual prototype (or “digital twin”) then forms the basis for further project work. The selected parts can be automatically


transferred to an ERP system, dramatically cutting the time spent on materials procurement. The 3D construction planning also shows any


potential difficulties that could arise later during production. For example, if a component on the mounting plate collides with the enclosure door, it can be detected at this early stage. This means that any corrections can be made directly during the planning stage and not in the workshop, which - in turn - cuts production times and costs significantly.


2. Automation of Wire Processing Wiring control panels is a time-consuming, painstaking job: the wire must be cut to length; stripped; crimped; labelled and finally, the finished cable must be routed and connected to a terminal. Not surprisingly, wiring accounts for roughly


half the time needed to build a control panel. Automating these processes therefore will offer significant improvements in operational efficiency. Rittal’s Wire Terminal (WT machine) is a


compact and fully automatic wire assembly machine, available in WT24 and WT36 variants, and is designed to improve wiring procedures.


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