CAD SOFTWARE FEATURE Reaping the benefits of electrical CAD
WSCAD SUITE X is enabling a control systems developer to reap significant dividends in terms of performance and efficiency in how projects are designed and generated
A
fter gaining around a quarter of a century’s experience in almost every
business sector of manufacturing, Hartech Automation has earned a reputation as a global designer and builder of special purpose machines and control systems for whole production lines for tier 1 and tier 2 companies in the automotive sector. It also provides specialist engineering support to offshore industries and a range of services relating to turnkey projects, including project management, engineering development, software development, installation and after sales support. Today, the company not only carries
out feasibility, design, development and commissioning of control systems, but can also create complete system installations. In addition, its panel shop is capable of manufacturing bespoke and batch control builds for panel-only clients.
MEETING CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS Electrical CAD software has always played a vital role in the ability of Hartech Automation to satisfy the needs of its customers, and 15 years ago it installed a WSCAD electrical CAD system to enable engineers to complete projects faster, better and easier. Around two years ago, the company decided it needed an automated system that would be compatible with .AML file transfers and could integrate with other electrical CAD systems. Consequently, it upgraded from its early non-Windows based software to the sophisticated and integrated WSCAD SUITE X solution. Three engineers at Hartech Automation
use the SUITE X to develop industry standard documentation for control system design. By integrating the system with a Siemens development suite which includes NX CAD software, as well as simPRO service, project and maintenance software, the engineers can minimise the amount of time spent developing control panels. This integration is important because Hartech
Automation uses virtual commissioning tools and digital twins so its engineers must be able to design in the mechanical environment and use
that information in electrical CAD and electrical software development environments. This removes the need to redesign entire packages of equipment for a specific machine or control system because that work has already been done in the mechanical environment and is simply imported into the WSCAD system. In software development, engineers need only write the programming language without having to set up any hardware because all that information transfers seamlessly, sharing .AML files across the different platforms. Time can also be saved by only one engineer having to specify equipment and the other two using that specification in their own disciplines with no redesigning required. While Hartech Automation was able to
produce a full set of documentation using its previous system, the company did not have the advantages offered by the automated features built into the SUITE X. For example, before the upgrade the company had to carry out installation schedules and cable wiring schedules externally. However, by being able to automatically generate a complete documentation package for customers, efficiencies have been achieved that have given the business a competitive edge in the marketplace. In addition, it utilises the Project Wizard function of Suite X, which allows its engineers to populate a drawings’ set using their own derived templates into a simple completion of an Excel-style sheet. Previously, this would have taken days to
engineer, but with WSCAD’s electrical CAD system this is completed in minutes and only requires a final output stream check. Customers now receive documentation in a more integrated and professionally presented package, rather than having separate sets of drawings, installation diagrams or cable schedules. Hartech Automation was also attracted to
the SUITE X because of the level of support it had received from WSCAD in the past. Shortly after switching to the new platform, company engineers were given extensive on-site training by a WSCAD expert. As they were already familiar with WSCAD’s software they did not need a platform training session, they simply needed to know how the software would complement the way that the company designs and builds systems. WSCAD’s specialist offered the exact level of input required and has continued to provide technical support to engineers when needed. Mark Hardy, managing director at Hartech
Automation, commented: “The reason most of our work comes from referral is because people
/ DESIGNSOLUTIONS
like the way we operate, how we become an extension to our customers’ staff, a key part of their team rather than being just another contractor that sends in bills. The team at WSCAD are not only accessible but operate in a similar manner to our own organisation in that they work with us and direct their product knowledge to our specific needs; they are effectively like an extension to our own team. This provides us with confidence in the product and the knowledge that we have the back-up of a great organisation should we need it.”
MODERN TECHNOLOGIES The SUITE X platform is enabling Hartech Automation to move forward and reap significant dividends in terms of performance and efficiency in how projects are now designed and generated. Flexibility has also increased. SUITE X has made it easier to take on larger, more complex projects, and deliver them seamlessly. As well as the features that Hartech
Automation is using, the WSCAD SUITE X takes advantage of modern technologies, such as augmented reality (AR), with a Building AR app for scanning buildings and a Cabinet AR app for scanning field devices and components. Designed for ease of use, enhancements in the
scalable electrical CAD system include the ability to configure data export by using path variables. Other improvements are a revised user-friendly menu structure, the ability to customise wire designation, and easy access to time-saving rotation variations. Large amounts of time can also be saved (and quality improved) through the automatic generation of electrical schematics while assigning existing data points to controllers. Other recent optimisations include a new data point key plugin BKS_13 for building automation and an extension of data point key plugin BKS Open for automatically generating data point keys.
WSCAD
www.wscad.com/en/
DESIGN SOLUTIONS | OCTOBER 2020 37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
