SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC ENABLES PANEL BUILDERS TO THRIVE IN INDUSTRY 4.0

Industry 4.0 or the Fourth Industrial Revolution refers to the current era of connectivity, analytics, automation, and advanced manufacturing technology that is transforming businesses around the world. For tradespeople, it is a game-changer. Just ask any panel builder. These electrical professionals know stable power distribution is unthinkable without switchgear, which is an essential part of the energy infrastructure. However, with the recent digitisation and electrification of building systems, there is a gap between such state-of-the-art, smart systems and their development, design and manufacture. Steps as important as planning, configuring, or creating parts lists are often still carried out in traditional, pre-Industry 4.0 ways. In order to remain competitive, switchgear manufacturers cannot avoid digitising value-added processes. So, in cooperation with partners such as ALPI and IGE-XAO,

Schneider Electric has built up an innovative and comprehensive approach to the panel-building process with SEE Electrical software. Resilient organisations today understand the need for more efficient operations that allow them to respond to customers quickly and safely. With SEE Electrical, Schneider Electric is meeting this demand by enabling panel builders to use digitalisation across the entire project lifecycle, transforming panel construction into a more efficient, productive, and flexible process. Not only will this help to keep you in line with market growth, it will also allow you to differentiate yourself from competitors and grow your business with new service offerings.

For general reference, the manufacturing phase of a panel accounts for 28% of the total project time. The mechanical

Bring automation to your electrical wiring diagrams and engineering schematics for efficient and error-proof designs preparation and assembly account for 28% of this phase, and the wiring accounts for 49%. Digitisation can assist in reducing the total time while improving the overall project quality. Now you can unleash efficiency within your panel-building projects with digital tools by Schneider Electric, including SEE Electrical software. These tools are deliberately designed to save panel builders precious time throughout their projects, from design and product selection up to quotation and manufacturing of the product. It is also a key way for them to stay on top of the latest digital applications and design innovations to enable Electricity 4.0, now and in the future.

With SEE Electrical software, panel builders are able to:

• Design electrical schematics 40% faster

• Rely on error-free professional software

• Meet local and international standards

• Improve project quality with ready-to-use software that is fully customisable

Let’s take a look at the end-to-end journey across project lifecycles that SEE Electrical software makes possible.

Panels may seem like simple products, but they have a complex value chain and are often unique, making standardisation difficult. Panel builders are required to build panels that can withstand harsh environments and drive critical assets in their customer’s facilities. Additionally, panel requirements impose a high level of specialisation and versatility, requiring electrical, mechanical, and automation expertise. This highly competitive environment puts considerable stress on lead-time commitments and margins. The panel builder’s job is not an easy one!

That’s why Schneider Electric developed

SEE Electrical software:

• A consistent product development process means shorter production times, continued reduction of costs, and improved quality.

• SEE Electrical offers eCAD software dedicated to electricians for schematic design, offering a schematic design software where interconnected drawings constitute a database. The electrical project is therefore the basic unit, as opposed to graphical software where the basic unit is the drawing. The degree of processing in CAD programs for electricians can vary, but mostly the repetition of symbol designations, the correctness of connecting symbol ends, use of I/O in the PLC, etc., is controlled. Only by using professional, proven design software can an error-free, or almost error-free design, be achieved. Consequently, the implementation of the design on-site is free of very costly errors. SEE Electrical also allows panel builders to stay compliant, as digitisation of projects using electrical CAD tools means you can automatically control the correctness of your diagrams and ensure compliance with standards and/or customer rules.

• SEE Electrical also allows panel builders to react swiftly to changes to deliver the quality and customisation that customers expect. The efficiencies and quality improvements continue in the workshop. Forget about dedicating employees to label production. With SEE Electrical Expert, schematics are exported directly to printers and engravers. That all but eliminates errors, too!

• Digitisation ensures that all departments have access to the same data, eliminating time lost due to redundant data, reverse engineering, manual data transfer, or data syncing. All changes applied throughout the project spectrum are made in real-time.

• A seamlessly integrated workflow offers value beyond manufacturing. Purchase, sales, customer service, and finance departments all benefit from access to consistent, relevant, and real-time data that extends beyond geographical limits and company divisions.

SEE Electrical cuts engineering time in half, thanks to its automated electrical functions. Quality is improved with the elimination of repetitive manual tasks. Also, with a customised multi-manufacturer database from Schneider Electric, setup time is minimised.

Target full automation of your workshop, thanks to 3D:

• Virtual 3D prototyping provides users with a clear spatial perspective within cabinet designs, making it easy to optimise space, place and manage system components, calculate wiring and cable routes, and reduce costly waste.

• Manufacturing process automation allows for earlier availability of manufacturing documents, 1:1 drilling templates, wire lists for assembly and mounting, precise component end-fitting and mounting, coupling of marking, wire manufacturing, and NC mechanical processing machines.

SEE Electrical has been recognised by panel builders all over the world.

Peter Hall, Managing Director of Hallson and certified EcoXpert partner of Schneider Electric, which is also a provider of PrismaSeT panels, has adopted this software. He views SEE Electrical as yet another way to meet customers’ needs. “As a panel builder, we rarely hear words like ‘predictable’ or ‘on time’ or ‘under budget’,” Peter says. “In fact, we pride ourselves on responding quickly to the inevitable changes that come with our work, while always maintaining a focus on quality.”

In other words, SEE Electrical software by Schneider Electric enables Hallson to increase productivity and quality through every step of the engineering and production process. “The software makes panel documentation easy, automatically generating cables and terminals in our schematics,” Peter adds. “Production efficiency is increased with direct label exports to printers and engraving machines. You can say goodbye to typing errors! And we minimise errors in the workshop, too. Custom production reports are just a mouse click away, aiding less experienced workers. Finally, SEE Electrical makes us future-ready by anticipating new panel maintenance standards and a soon-to-be-mandatory digital storage requirement.”

KAFKAS is one of Greece’s leading providers of electrical equipment, including SM6 and PrismaSeT panels from Schneider Electric. The company has also benefited from SEE Electrical software and believe that, as a Schneider partner, its business will always be future-ready.

“As we design and build our panels, we always keep an eye on productivity, but never at the expense of quality,” says Stratos Papaioannou, Panel Building Units Manager at Kafkas.

“We know there will be changes along the way. And thanks to SEE Electrical software by Schneider Electric, we are able to make modifications and deliver the custom solutions our customers want. With SEE Electrical, we reduced our engineering time by more than 50%, thanks to AutoCAD capabilities. The software allows us to create error-free designs by eliminating repetitive manual tasks and automating connection checks.”

Stratos says that “production is expedited, as well. We export our schematics directly to printers, eliminating typing errors and realising huge time savings. And customised production reports can be accessed with a mouse click.”

With SEE Electrical software in place, the panel-building game has now become seamless and efficient. Download the 30-day free trial now to explore the benefits of the eCAD software that helps panels builders ensure quality and speed work in the Electricity 4.0 world.

Schneider Electric, se.com