Rittal Automation Systems is expanding its product range to enable seamless, data-driven automation for panel building and switchgear manufacturing. The new Wire Handling System transports pre-assembled wires just-in-time and just-in-sequence from the Wire Terminal to up to four workstations.
Data-driven automation plays a key role in today’s panel building and switchgear manufacturing. It allows increasingly complex customer requirements to be met – on a case-by-case basis and with short throughput times. This way, companies can seize growth opportunities and develop businesses that are ready for the future, even in the face of a persistent shortage of skilled staff.
SPS trade fair innovation: the Wire Handling System
As a market leader in this field, Rittal is also forcing the continued development of its extensive Rittal Automation System range. At SPS 2025, therefore, it will present its Wire Handling System, a new wire distribution solution that uses compressed air to feed wires for pre-assembled cables. It can be used as an extension to the Wire Terminal WT C fully automatic wire assembly machine. Using compressed air, the wires prepared in this way can be transported directly from the Wire Terminal to up to 4 workstations. The system, consisting of a wire distributor, a wire receiver and Teflon hoses, is designed for all common types of wire with cross-sections ranging from 0.5 mm² to 6 mm² and lengths of 220 mm to 4,000 mm. The maximum transport distance is 80 m.
Error-free and accelerated wiring
The new Wire Handling System, in conjunction with the Wire Terminal, optimises wiring, by far the most time-consuming step in panel building and switchgear manufacturing, so generating extremely high savings of time and costs. Instead of removing the wire sets from the Wire Terminal in wire rails or chain bundles, the pre-assembled wires are delivered to the respective workstations just-in-time and just-in-sequence at the push of a button. This greatly streamlines intralogistics and helps save storage space.
Embedding the Wire Handling System into the Eplan Smart Production software application ensures that wires are always delivered to workstations on time and in the correct order. Based on the data from a digital twin created during planning and designing, Eplan Smart Production, as a digital assistance system with Eplan Smart Wiring, guides you step-by-step through the wiring process and requests the required wires via the Wire Terminal and the output system. This makes it feasible for even less experienced or semi-skilled people to perform wiring far faster and without errors. For example, time savings of up to 90 per cent in wire assembly are possible.
Consistent data-driven automation
As an automated solution for intralogistics, the new Wire Handling System closes another gap in the end-to-end, data-driven automation of panel building and switchgear manufacturing. The manufacturing process can now be managed even more efficiently, and companies can meet current – and future – market requirements much better, even with fewer skilled workers.
“The new Wire Handling System immediately generates added value by further accelerating the wiring process and by reducing errors through the interaction of Eplan software and the output system,” Thorsten Eberz, Head of Product Management at Rittal Automation Systems, emphasises. “At the same time, companies can begin preparing for the future of panel building and switchgear manufacturing with this solution: Not only can the Wire Distribution System be used to supply workstations, but also future wiring robots.”