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Digital – from Head to Toe

For equipment manufacturers to perform their core business optimally, a particularly high degree of efficiency is required from all engineering processes. In the event of order peaks, outsourcing sub-processes can be a good option. For this partnership to be successful, the supplier needs a high degree of technical expertise, and data transfer must be seamless. The WAGO solution offers the necessary data consistency along the value chain.

A look at day-to-day operations in production quickly reveals the great challenges that control cabinet manufacturers must constantly meet. These include customer requirements that can change from one day to the next, and order peaks that are difficult to plan for. The ongoing skills shortage is another problem for these companies. “In these circumstances, good partners are incredibly important,” says Steffen Winther from the Market Management Engineering Services department at WAGO.

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Planning with the Smart Designer from WAGO:

With the Smart Designer from WAGO, system designers who, for example, design circuits for packing machines, can rely on an efficient and intuitive software tool: Configuration starts as soon as the tool is started through the WAGO website or EPLAN. The most current product information is always available to users online – including data sheets and product images, as well as downloads of CAE and CAD data. With just a few mouse clicks, designers can select interface terminal strips and I/O modules, which can then be assembled later in a way that is affordable, space-saving, and functional. An automated plausibility check guarantees that the DIN-rail assembly design is error-free. Designs are also exported – including parts lists, photos of the products used, and a 3D model – and orders are sent to WAGO.

Winther describes the situation as follows: “Every planning tool speaks its own language. If our customers use a CAE system for electronic planning – EPLAN or WSCAD for example – we have go in blind to try to understand this data and work with it.” After all, interface problems or data discontinuity quickly make the extended workbench unprofitable for customers. With WAGO, customers can rely on high-quality CAE product data and CAE macros.

“Customers can start working on the mechanical structure directly via an interface to the CAD tool,” explains Winther. “Or we handle that for them.” It’s important for the planning to function as simply as possible. WAGO’s Smart Designer configuration software allows planned terminal strips to be constructed easily. Once assembly is complete, the data can be conveniently transferred to the WAGO Smart Printer thermal transfer printer. It works – no matter the data source. “In the WAGO system, everything fits together,” explains Winther. Customers can outsource process steps at any time, process the partial results further themselves or get involved in the process with their own data. “If necessary, the designer can request a completely assembled rail from WAGO directly from the Smart Designer after the planning stage by just following an HTML link,” says Winther.

Transparency instead of a Black Box

For most, what happens once an order arrives at WAGO is no more than a big black box: Yet what they see as a black box is, to WAGO, a glass box. Production at the Minden company is completely software-based and transparent from start to finish – at least, it is for every employee who needs access to the ordering and production processes.

Computer-based systems were introduced early into the product development process at WAGO; they are used in manufacturing and for product data management. This is because a rapidly increasing product range, the competitive market, and the company’s global presence place huge demands on the development and production departments.

A Good Foundation for Sustainable Production

In addition, the company’s high quality standards have led to a large vertical manufacturing range and the need to develop and produce their own equipment and tools. The Teamcenter product lifecycle management system (PLM) was introduced when the company entered the new century. It enabled integrated control and management of product data and processes across the entire product lifecycle. “We have made optimizing the complete process chain a priority – from development to manufacturing,” explains Michael Burmester, who heads the process and product data management division at WAGO. He adds, “It was important for us to lay a good foundation so that the production processes could be designed for long-term viability. Even back then, it was clear that we would have to digitize all of our processes and information in order to do this.”

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Digital, Fast and Flexible

Once an order has been received at WAGO, the data is entered for processing into the PLM system. This adds relevant information to the configured product – for example, ETIM and eCl@ss classification data, as well as information on the packaging type and unit. This step also determines when and where orders will be processed. This decision is based not only on the requested delivery date, but also on logistical data, like delivery routes, shipping times and the capacities of the production equipment at the facility in question. For example, WAGO produces and delivers terminal strips at its Sondershausen, Thuringia facility within just a few days.

Digital – from Head to Toe

Planning with the Smart Designer from WAGO:

Digitized Ordering Process: Step 1:

Transparency instead of a Black Box

A Good Foundation for Sustainable Production

Digital, Fast and Flexible

Digitized Ordering Process: Step 2: