Ian Greeves Ian has been working at EPLAN UK for almost 3 years as an Applications Engineer. Ian has previously worked in the maintenance department and in the pre-production department, designing and building semi and fully automated machinery. He wants to use his engineering skills and expertise together with EPLAN to enable customers to simulate, validate and optimise their electrical design applications to achieve their goals greeves.i@eplan.co.uk Ian Greeves auf LinkedIn

4/08/20

Cloud based engineering: think big!

Author: Ian Greeves Time to read: minute minutes

Do you have full control over data and projects? The cloud offers new possibilities in engineering regardless of location, device or company while bringing new opportunities for using design data.

The advantages of multi-location, cloud-supported working practices are clear, as Thomas Michels, Senior Director Cloud Business Software at EPLAN, explains: "It is often engineering service providers who plan control cabinets on behalf of a mechanical engineering company and over the course of a project, there are always reviews, coordination with the customer and status reports. All these interim statuses can now be provided on EPLAN’s new cloud platform. Using this free platform, all those involved always have access to the most up to date version of the project within EPLAN eVIEW.

Thomas Michels, Senior Director Cloud Business Software at Eplan

"We asked ourselves: What does the future of engineering look like - also against the background of ever broader value chains and changing technologies," explains Thomas Michels, Senior Director Cloud Business Software.

Redlining and Greenlining included

The name "eVIEW" is strictly speaking an understatement as it not only provides a platform for project stakeholders to view projects, but it also includes "Redlining" and "Greenlining" functions. Engineering, manufacturing, assembly, service and maintenance can note changes and comments when on site, which the responsible and authorised electrical designer can incorporate into the EPLAN project. This creates a structured flow of information between all involved parties. At the same time, the designer retains control over their circuit diagrams and projects.

16,000 EPLAN projects currently on the cloud

Those who doubt the usefulness of cloud based engineering solutions will have their work cut out for them by the community of users. In the last ten months, more than 16,000 EPLAN projects have been placed on the cloud. These projects are stored in so-called organisations which consists of 11,000 registered users actively working with them and customer feedback has been consistently positive. eVIEW is thus already a very good example of how EPLAN engineering solutions can be expanded to include workflow-oriented cloud services. Cloud technology is the only way to ensure that schematic projects are available regardless of location and device.

Solution provider EPLAN intends to gradually offer further added value to complement the existing portfolio - even beyond the pure engineering phase and along the customer's entire value-added chain.

The cloud offers new opportunities in engineering.

Structural change: Software-as-a-Service.

The cloud demands new structures. Unmistakably, because continuing as before will not bring any significant progress, and thinking big is definitely the order of the day when switching to the cloud. André Beunink, Director Cloud Business Digital Platform at EPLAN, is driving the transformation forward: "Compared to the EPLAN platform, EPLAN’s cloud modules are not installed 'on premise' on users' computers. Instead, we provide all users with a common, highly reliable and secure IT infrastructure in the cloud, based on the principle of software-as-a-service". The first challenges have been overcome and there are already further possibilities in the EPLAN environment.

Andre Beunink "We provide all users with a common, highly reliable and secure IT infrastructure in the cloud based on the principle of software-as-a-service", says André Beunink, Director Cloud Business Digital Platform.

Schematic libraries: a different approach

In addition to the comprehensive viewing and collaboration functions of EPLAN eVIEW, This can also make it easier for users to get started with automated and standardised schematic creation. Thomas Michels: "This works similarly to the Data Portal, only at a higher level. For example, in eBUILD Free - that's the name of the service - schematic libraries are stored for complete subsystems such as the power supply". EPLAN has created these libraries together with market leaders such as Phoenix Contact, which sees itself as an "early adopter" in this area: "To stick with this example, the user opens a 'power supply' library, enters some parameters such as current intensity and the number of channels required as well as consumers. At the push of a button he gets the multi-page circuit diagram of the system, which he can adopt into his project". This saves the planner time and gives him a high-quality system in which all components are matched to each other.

Open the door to digital

As a digital platform, ePULSE will in future provide the central "entrance door" to the cloud world - with eVIEW and eBUILD as important, but by no means the only service solutions. Thomas Michels: "We are continuously developing new services.

Author