Electricity and Control June 2021

INDUSTRY 4.0 + IIOT

Cross-project collaboration The continuing digital transformation of engineering has seen EPlan also introduce a new service for cross-project collaboration – EPlan eManage – as part of its cloud services. This lets users upload EPlan Platform projects into the cloud environment and share and work on them there. As a first step, a free version of the new cloud-based software solution was launched in March. A fee-based version of the software will be released in August and will offer expanded functionality. EPlan eManage makes it easy to upload, manage and share projects in the secure ePulse cloud environment. As to- day’s ecosystem of industrial automation is characterised by many media discontinuities in the processing and transferring of documentation, the advantages of this system are clear: the EPlan Platform systems in connection with the new cloud service will network control cabinet manufacturers and pan- el builders, OEMs and system integrators, and machine and plant system operators. This means they can work together on a central project that can be synchronised on the EPlan Platform via eManage. Industry 4.0. The Bosch Rexroth ctrlX Configurator enables easy configuration of complete ctrlX Automation solutions. By directly integrating our configurator into the EPlan Platform, users will receive all device data of the configured system topology, including detailed product lists and CAD data, at the touch of a button. This integration ensures full data consistency and reuse of product data throughout the digital design phase.” UDMTEK CEO Gi Nam Wang also has good reasons for joining. “We decided to partner with EPlan through EPN to leverage our industry-leading offerings and combine them with EPlan’s best-in-class engineering platform. We are excited to partner with a world-class company as we embark on our next phase of growth and innovation.” EPlan makes it easy for users and companies to benefit from the EPN. A partner area on the website provides par- ticulars for companies involved in the network, information about integrations, contact people and current news. In this era of the digital transformation, when cloud

Clear access rights and role assignments ensure data security and provide flexibility for project access. Users of EPlan Electric P8 and EPlan Pro Panel are already benefitting from the integrated processes which enable them to upload their projects into the cloud and transfer them back to the EPlan Platform for further processing. With just one click users can publish their project data directly in EPlan eView. This allows defined stakeholders the opportunity to look at and comment on projects. It further enables cross-company review processes to be implemented digitally and, with its clear, central availability in the cloud, eManage supports project participants in searching for specific content quickly. Synchronised, current data EPlan eManage means that the EPlan Project is synchronised for all project participants and stakeholders. Changes in the project are visible to all participants and the project documentation is always current – across the entire project life cycle and even into operations and service scenarios. At a glance  Collaboration is changing the way engineering solutions are developed for smart manufacturing.  Easy interaction of various software applications from different manufacturers has become key to designing effective automation systems.  Open interfaces and modern integrations create opportunities that benefit users of the software solutions and the partner companies themselves. solutions are playing an increasingly critical role, it’s becoming more important for providers to coordinate integration across companies. Seitz says, “With the EPN, we’re maximising the overall benefits of our own solutions and those of our partners in the ecosystem of industrial automation for shared customers. Together we’re creating a win-win situation for customers and partners.” □ For more information visit: www.eplan-software.com

Eplan eManage allows Eplan Projects to be shared in the cloud with all project participants – enabling more collaboration in engineering.

Users of Eplan Electric P8 and Pro Panel can upload their projects into the cloud and transfer them back to the EPlan Platform.

Electricity + Control JUNE 2021

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