As a panel builder, we know you are facing unprecedented pressure in a highly competitive market.
Your teams are being tasked to design and build increasingly sophisticated control panels for advanced automation systems while maintaining high quality and safety standards — all amid shrinking budgets, ongoing supply chain disruptions, and growing skills gaps.
In response, many companies are attempting to leverage existing assets, identify efficiencies, and reduce overheads. However, business models built on manual workflows and paper-based documentation are becoming increasingly inefficient, leading to multiple delays through lengthy reworking that add costs and constrain business growth.
Ken Christie, Head of Eplan Value Chain, says, "In a fast-moving business environment, multiple inefficiencies – even small ones - will quietly eat into profits. The problem is when we become so focused on the day-to-day work, we may not realise how much time or money is being wasted, or the number of opportunities we are losing because of a reliance on essentially outdated processes."
Ken continues, "The fact is, if businesses are not already working with digital tools to streamline and automate their design processes and speed up their manufacturing workflow, then the chances are high that their competitors are."
"By automating your engineering and manufacturing processes you are securing the value of your business now and for the future, and giving it capacity to grow in an affordable way."
The Eplan Advantage
While integrating digital tools might initially seem unfamiliar and somewhat daunting the reality offers affordable, transformative benefits for your business.
These include:
- Faster project delivery with dramatically reduced engineering design and configuration time
- Fewer design errors through automated verification, collision detection and project check
- Easy and rapid design changes that automatically update throughout the project
- Better resource deployment, allowing senior engineers to focus on innovation rather than repetitive tasks
- Seamless handover of designs to manufacturing and end-user maintenance teams
These advantages translate directly to quicker project turnaround times, reduced operational costs, greater engagement among senior staff, and ultimately, happier customers.
What’s more, Eplan's expert team is ready to guide and train your staff through every step of the implementation process.
Engineering Excellence Without Complexity
Eplan's software allows your teams to develop electrical designs in a fraction of the time required for traditional CAD. 3D Panel layouts can be created quickly through intuitive drag-and-drop functionality making use of Eplan's Data Portal, an extensive component manufacturers product catalogue. The software's "collision check" feature minimises errors by reducing or indeed preventing having to reposition components during the panel building process.
Furthermore, existing designs can be imported without redrawing from scratch, and any revisions are automatically highlighted throughout the workflow.
Once complete, the software generates a digital twin - a 3D representation that can be viewed from any direction of the final panel – enabling the designs to be shared with any other team e.g purchasing, production etc both internally and externally via the cloud. The 2D production drawings which are created directly from the 3D model are automatically updated whenever the 3D design changes.
This streamlined process can potentially reduce delivery time for an entire engineering configuration from say 56 hours to just 24 hours.
The Rittal Edge: Industrial Automation for Production
The full power of Eplan's design capabilities emerges when paired with Rittal 's automation systems and enclosure technology. Together, these tools transform workshops into highly efficient, low-error production environments that deliver measurable ROI for businesses of all sizes.
Key production advantages include:
- Automated and semi-automated machines for machining, wire preparation and copper bending with products such as the Rittal Perforex BC and Rittal Wire Terminal
- Optimised enclosure and climate control solutions, such as Rittal 's Blue e+ cooling systems that reduce energy use while improving system reliability
- Wiring stations complete with Smart Production apps for the easy population and wiring of electrical panels – even without experience personnel
- Smart logistics and modularity for faster project completion
The benefits extend beyond engineering and production. When data changes on internal systems, automated parts lists (BOMs) in the purchasing team's PLM systems update automatically, creating a truly integrated workflow across departments.
Growth Strategies for Business Leaders
While day-to-day operations demand attention, as a business leader, your focus must remain on long-term growth and resilience. Transitioning to digital and automated business processes enables you to:
- Scale operations without proportionally increasing headcount or overhead costs
- Win larger contracts by demonstrating industrial-level capability and reliability
- Improve profitability through leaner, more efficient operations
- Attract and retain younger engineers and top talent by offering cutting-edge tools and technology
The evidence is compelling: across the UK and Europe, small and mid-sized integrators are achieving 50% time savings on panel design and build without increasing their headcount, while significantly reducing material waste and wiring errors.
The streamlined, end-to-end workflows are delivering rapid ROI.
During the transition process, our expert teams manage implementation and training to ensure uninterrupted workflows and order fulfilment.
The Eplan and Rittal Difference
Our product offering remains unrivalled for several key reasons.
Rittal and Eplan operate as a single company, and together we offer the market's most comprehensive suite of fully integrated digital solutions and automated products.
Unlike competitors who rely on partnership arrangements between independent businesses, we have decades of joint product innovation and global expertise which underpins and supports our products.
We maintain a substantial local presence with dedicated UK-based customer support teams, training centres, with back-up from our accessible online knowledge hubs. Our on-the-ground engineering teams ensure faster onboarding of your teams, and will provide you with an ongoing, highly responsive customer service, while our solutions are tailored to ensure full compliance with UK and international standards.
For panel builders seeking industry-leading knowledge, capability, and business development support, we offer a wholly integrated, future-ready approach.
We even provide an in-house team to modify enclosures based on your drawings when you face capacity constraints.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Whether you're looking to automate design, optimise production, or unlock new levels of efficiency, we have solutions tailored to your business size and future goals.
Position your company at the forefront of the automation revolution and begin your journey today.
Submit an enquiry form on our website today and we will get in touch to discuss your Application Centre visit.
