Control panel manufacturing 4.0

Author : Alistair Hookway is Editor of Panel Building & System Integration

08 November 2017

In order to highlight the virtues of automation, Rittal invited a number of customers to visit both its Innovation Centre in Haiger and enclosure production plant in Ritterhausen, both situated just north of Frankfurt. The tour of the facilities allowed the customers to see Industry 4.0 in action as well as a closer look at Rittal’s product line.

The selection of customers were all at different stages along the road to automation, some having previously purchased Rittal’s products, others on the verge of taking on a fully automated machining centre, while others were very much still in need of convincing of the benefits to automating their production processes. What was clear from the visit to the Innovation Centre was that there were solutions available for companies of all sizes, ranging from handheld tools and ergonomic handling systems, to semi-automatic wiring machines, right up to fully automated machining centres.

The Rittal Innovation Centre is very much grounded in the Industry 4.0 philosophy. The process of translating this philosophy across to control panel manufacturing is encapsulated by what Rittal refers to as the digital workflow. The digital workflow consists of three stages: the utilisation of data, engineering with software, and physical manufacture of the panel. Data is the enabler of both Industry 4.0 and the digital workflow and is therefore implemented within a selection of software-based tools offered by both Rittal and its subsidiary EPLAN. Software streamlines the planning stage by minimising errors and calculating compatibility of components in advance. EPLAN Pro Panel is a CAE software solution for the 3D engineering and verification of control cabinets and switchgear which offers access to an extended catalogue of device data.

If the argument against embracing Industry 4.0 practices is that the time and effort saved is not worth the costs involved, then Pro Panel is an effective tool at convincing otherwise. EPLAN’s data portal contains component data from an array of manufacturers, cutting down on the vast selection as each new component is selected so that only compatible components that fit the task at hand are shown. The technology allows for components to be virtually aligned and positioned whilst simultaneously calculating fitting regulations and minimum distances based on manufacturer requirements.

This engineering through software allows for a digital twin of the prospective panel to be created. The digital twin saves time and effort by highlighting errors in real-time and ensuring that all components fit and are compatible before any physical manufacturing even occurs. Cooling of the panel is also calculated with the help of Rittal Therm, an online programme that displays a heat map of the panel to show the engineer where ventilation is required. Control panel manufacturing 4.0 offers confidence to move from planning to physical manufacturing with the knowledge that all calculations have been made and any errors corrected.

In order to experience the full effects of control panel manufacturing 4.0 it is recommended to also embrace automated manufacturing. It is therefore no surprise to find two fully automated Perforex machining centres at the heart of Rittal’s Innovation Centre. Designed specifically for panel building and switchgear manufacturing, they are not just the centrepiece due to their size, but also because of their potential impact on cost cutting and time savings.

The first of the two machines is the Perforex BC series. The less advanced of the two, this machine can automatically create holes, threads and milled surfaces on the workpiece and is capable of machining all standard materials used for enclosure manufacturing. Panels are clamped and pneumatically secured whilst the tool magazine can accommodate 18 or 20 tools from a selection of 40 that are optionally available. An extra benefit of the machine is cleanliness since swarf is kept to a minimum and in one place.

The second, more advanced machine is the laser cutting Perforex LC series. This machine is suited for stainless steel and sheet steel, as well as powder coated metals. It possesses the same benefits seen in the BC series along with its own distinct advantages. The major advantage of the LC series is that it is capable of simultaneously machining 5 sides of an enclosure, thus making it much quicker than the milling process. What stood out particularly with the laser cutting is the cleanliness of the cuts in the enclosure and lack of damage or marking on the surrounding surface.

Both machines work in unison with EPLAN’s Pro Panel so that all programmed jobs are immediately available and can be reused as and when needed. Alternatively, any standard CAD and E-planning programme may be used for programming the machines. Whether the engineer needs to manufacture a single enclosure, or a whole batch, the Perforex machines are fully equipped to efficiently produce high quality panels. Rittal suggests that compared to producing panels manually, the Perforex machines offer up to 70 percent in time savings, but this obviously varies depending on the specific job, number of cut-outs, the material and so forth.

Of course though, even when it comes to the most advanced automation machines which boast the latest technologies, for many panel builders it is the basic concepts of cost and return on investment (ROI) that can leave doubts in their minds as to whether automation is for them. To help alleviate fears of cost, Rittal released an ROI calculator (http://www.rittal.com/roi-calculator) to allow customers to see for themselves the amount of money that could be saved.

The general prediction is that ROI will be achieved within 3 years, however in reality this is often reached much earlier. One Rittal customer doubled its enclosure output in a year, whereas another achieved ROI in just 12 months against an initial prediction of 18 months. ROI is calculated by comparing the cost and time savings of the automated process with the same job done by hand, as well as considering savings of having the freedom to complete other jobs whilst the machine is running.

Automation has historically offered the ability to manufacture high quantities of products at a much higher rate than manual processes. However, modern automation has the added advantage of processing low volumes or one-offs whilst still offering time and cost savings. This is certainly exemplified by control panel manufacturing 4.0 whereby utilising data and digital planning, Perforex machines offer flexibility and savings. Industry 4.0 now comes in all shapes and sizes and embracing the move to automation is essential to stay ahead of the competition and save resources.

This article was originally published in the November issue of PBSI