What are the next steps for automation?

Save the Date: EF|A 2021, 29–30 September

Machine and plant-system manufacturers are facing many challenges, one of it is digitalisation, which demands standardisation in engineering. But how good is standardised engineering if a machine’s modularisation hasn’t been completely thought through? EPLAN will be putting the entire process under a microscope with customers and partners at the EF|A 2021. Interested (virtual) attendees will get tips and learn about strategies for their very personal next steps on the path to automation in engineering, all online.

Monheim, Germany, 17 August 2021 – Solutions provider EPLAN is expanding its tried and tested EEC Forum idea to include the topics of modularisation and standardisation. Along with the thematic expansion, this international event is getting a new name – the EF|A stands for EPLAN Forum for Automation Engineering. The event is taking place online on 29 and 30 September. Event partners including Configit, Contact, encoway and SAE will also be presenting their companies’ solutions in the fields of configuration, CPQ and variant management.

From modularisation to configuration – everything structured and standardised

How do engineers implement the functional structuring of a machine – with corresponding options, variants, features and dependencies? These questions should already be answered when planning and designing a machine/plant system. Creating templates, macros and macro projects – this is the next step on the path to automation in engineering, which is specifically being examined using various EPLAN solutions. Participants will also learn about concepts that have been proven in practice for questions relating to standardisation and configuration; ideally, these allow documentation for the control cabinet layout and the electrical designs to automatically be generated from SAP configuration.

International customers including Aggreko, BST, Danfoss, KHS, Oskar Frech, Scheuch and Spiromatic will take audiences on a tour of their tried-and-tested solutions and provide background information on their strategies and implementation. EPLAN experts will take a deeper dive into these methods and strategies for modularisation, standardisation and automated engineering using the solutions eBuild, EPLAN Cogineer and EEC.


“Test drive the system”

Users will also “get their money’s worth”: in Hands-on Sessions, they can try out various systems, using for instance either EPLAN eBuild or EEC to create schematics. Machine cabling using a 3D model can also be easily tested here – Harness proD, the EPLAN solution for machine cabling and wire harness engineering, can be used to directly derive the manufacturing documentation.

The event for automated engineering will be simultaneously translated in English – and registration and participation are free of charge.