Diagram-Free Control Panel Wiring with Eplan Smart Wiring

The Current Panel Building Landscape

Traditionally, wiring technicians have relied on paper schematics to show which connections to make. However, these diagrams don’t reveal the physical layout of components. Therefore, guidance on how to connect them, how to route cables, or often even the required cable size and colour is missing.

Panel wiring from schematic diagrams is a skilled job that requires a lot of experience. Even then, wiring is prone to errors. If two different people wire “identical” panels, the results often differ. This may not affect function, but it makes fault finding and modifications harder.

In large-scale production of identical panels, detailed wiring diagrams can solve these issues. The downside? They are costly, time-consuming, and need updating whenever the panels change. When you only need one or a few panels, producing wiring diagrams is rarely worth the cost or effort.

How Eplan Smart Wiring Can Help

Designed with simplicity in mind, Eplan Smart Wiring is an app that offers step-by-step directions for cable wiring. Through its clearly designed menu, the intuitive software fully describes every single connection.

The app’s screen clearly shows the components, terminal points, and exact cable routes inside the panel.

The app shows details for each connection. This could includes wire diameter, color, termination method (like crimped or ultrasonic welded), and bundle affiliation. This ensures every step of the wiring process is clear and easy to follow.

Installers can mark each connection complete with a click, turning it green on the screen. This feature makes it easy to track progress, allowing colleagues on different shifts to pick up exactly where the last person stopped.

The Eplan Smart Wiring app is especially useful when you need to implement last-minute changes. Update the CAE design, and the app automatically compares and records all changes. This is far quicker and more accurate than manual checks.

The app clearly marks obsolete connections and highlights those to be added. This removes guesswork for wiring technicians, letting them work confidently without risking mistakes.

The app replaces complex schematic reading with a simple visual interface. By saving time and reducing errors, even those without loads of experience can wire panels effectively. The result is faster, more efficient wiring — lowering costs and boosting profitability for panel builders.

Eplan Smart Wiring Success Story: Unitechnik Systems

Unitechnik Systems GmbH, a leader in industrial automation, has shown how Eplan Smart Wiring can transform control cabinet construction. The company has replaced paper-based wiring diagrams with an interactive digital guide accessible via tablet or workstation. The outcome is making wiring faster, clearer, and less prone to errors.

Change management is where the system truly excels. “An important aspect for us is that by digitalising processes, we can flexibly integrate changes,” says Mathias Terstegen, Production Manager for control cabinet construction at Unitechnik Systems GmbH.  The app automatically compares the “before” and “after” project states, highlighting differences and flagging obsolete or new connections. This removes the need for manual cross-checks and allows multiple shifts to work seamlessly.

For Unitechnik, the result is faster wiring, fewer mistakes, and a more adaptable workforce. Eplan Smart Wiring is a practical, everyday tool that bridges design and assembly. Panel wiring has never been more efficient, reliable, and change-ready.

Final Thoughts

Eplan Smart Wiring streamlines panel wiring, reduces errors, and makes change management simple, helping manufacturers work faster and more efficiently.

Would you like further information about how Eplan can help you in control cabinet manufacturing? You can download the Control Cabinet 4.0 case study below.