EPLAN: More than ECAD
Digital electrical engineering documentation, efficient plant operations
EPLAN supports you and your suppliers in creating high-quality, always up-to-date documentation for your automation systems. The foundation for uninterrupted operations is already being created during the electrical design phase of your plant systems.
Where is your plant operations heading?
Let’s take the journey together!
Be honest: Does inadequate documentation add to an increase in downtime?
Does this ring a bell? Everything is fine as long as the plant systems are running. But when a malfunction occurs, things get hectic: What exactly is the cause? How can our technician find the components that have to be replaced in hundreds, or even thousands of schematics pages – particularly if the documentation isn’t up to date?
PDF documents can almost be as confusing as binders full of printed schematics with sticky notes. So production is at a standstill, even though every unplanned downtime costs cold, hard cash!
Why choose EPLAN? Because it’s a documentation tool for plant operators and their suppliers!
High-quality documentation of your automation systems is essential for smooth service in plant operations. When technical documentation is only provided as a PDF, there is rarely any in-depth information behind the graphics of the schematics. ECAD is perhaps more suitable software, especially for electrotechnical documentation.
Yet EPLAN takes it all a step further, allowing machine suppliers to store comprehensive digital data in their schematics plus the associated documentation creating a complete digital description of the automation systems. This facilitates commissioning of new equipment as well as acceptances for new plant systems. In addition, it also makes it easier to remedy any problems that crop up during operations and to implement future expansions and conversions.
Benefits for plant operators: electrical documentation with EPLAN
- All electrical data on a project can be called up at any time
- Integrated device includes data from hundreds of manufacturers
- Bills of materials, terminal diagrams, etc. can be derived from the schematics
- Changes are only need to be made once and are applied to the entire project
⇒ Smooth commissioning and expansion of plant systems
⇒ Fast response times in case of malfunctions
Different schematic views based on your documentation
- Central ‘navigator view” of your schematics and components
- Terminal assignment diagrams and component overviews
- Site plans for the complete automation system
- Clear functional markings in accordance with IEC 81346
- Traceable change processes
⇒ Solid data foundation for clear documentation
⇒ Evaluations and test runs possible with just a few clicks
Four tips on how check runs can increase the quality of your electrical documentation
The quality and completeness of your documentation can be determined with EPLAN using automatic check runs. This way you need just a few minutes to find out if there are errors such as duplicate device tags, open connections or components without assigned parts. Here you can find some tips about how to set up your error checking with EPLAN in best way possible.
Considering future changes to an assembly line starting with the electrical designs
“We’re strongly relying on as much standardisation and modularisation as possible on our assembly lines, not least to keep the time-to-market as short as possible,” Alexander Klemenz from ZKW says. This is also reflected in the engineering department and “starts with fast product selection, moving on to accelerated design and time-optimised implementation.”
Using EPLAN has been a perfect fit for ZKW: future changes to an assembly line can be easily and efficiently taken into account right from the start and, when the time comes, can be quickly and effortlessly implemented.
Considering future changes to an assembly line starting with the electrical designs
“We’re strongly relying on as much standardisation and modularisation as possible on our assembly lines, not least to keep the time-to-market as short as possible,” Alexander Klemenz from ZKW says. This is also reflected in the engineering department and “starts with fast product selection, moving on to accelerated design and time-optimised implementation.”
Using EPLAN has been a perfect fit for ZKW: future changes to an assembly line can be easily and efficiently taken into account right from the start and, when the time comes, can be quickly and effortlessly implemented.
EPLAN Software and Services for your uninterrupted plant operations
Discover our Software and Services for efficient and safe plant system operations. We’re happy to advise you in this!
High-quality software – now and in the future
EPLAN offers you the most powerful software for electrical engineering. Our software’s development is delivered by the needs of our users. We recommend that you always use the most current version of EPLAN. This way you always benefit from the latest technology and seamless integration to our cloud collaboration and data solutions.
Easily exchange components based on device data
Use a huge selection of the latest device and component data from popular manufacturers to provide your suppliers with exact specifications for using components. Your service technicians benefit from comprehensive parts descriptions and device information
View digital schematics anywhere, easily document and share changes
Make your schematics digitally available for service technicians anywhere, even without an EPLAN licence. Changes made can be digitally documented while still onsite via redlining on the schematics, Electrical designers can check the changes and update the documentation in no time at all.
Comprehensive services – from eLearning courses to individualised consultation
EPLAN offers you a comprehensive range of support, training and consulting services. After just a few minutes perusing our eLearning courses you’ll have useful tips, for instance on designing terminals and cabling, not to mention the associated documentations.
