Wire processing is one of the most time-consuming and error-prone stages of panel building. Here is how Greek manufacturer Senekis Electrical Switchboards automated it with the fully automated Rittal Wire Terminal WT — and what it changed on the production floor.
For control and switchgear builders, wire processing is one of the most time-consuming and error-prone stages of production. Cutting each wire to length, stripping it, crimping wire end ferrules and labelling it — repeated thousands of times across a project — ties up skilled people in manual, repetitive work and leaves room for costly mistakes. As order volumes grow and skilled labour becomes harder to find, that bottleneck increasingly defines how fast a panel shop can deliver.
Senekis Electrical Switchboards, a Greek manufacturer specialising in Medium and Low Voltage panels, automation systems and energy solutions, recently addressed exactly this challenge. As part of its ongoing investment in advanced manufacturing, the company integrated the RAS machine Wire Terminal WT — a fully automated wire processing machine — into its production line.
The wire processing bottleneck panel builders know well
Manual wire preparation does not scale easily. Every change to a project means re-cutting, re-stripping and re-labelling by hand, and the quality of the result depends on the consistency of the operator. For shops handling high volumes or highly customised work, this translates into longer lead times, variable quality, and skilled staff spending hours on tasks that add little engineering value.
Automating this stage removes that constraint. It frees experienced technicians for assembly and testing — the work where their expertise actually counts — while standardising the parts of the process that benefit most from machine precision.
One automated process: cutting, stripping, crimping and labelling
The Wire Terminal WT handles the full wire preparation sequence in a single automated flow: length-cutting, insulation-stripping, fitting wire end ferrules, and project-specific labelling. Depending on the variant, it produces up to 36 different wires with cross-sections from 0.5 mm² to 6 mm² — with no manual intervention and no retooling between wire types.
For the production floor, that consistency is the real benefit. Every wire leaves the machine cut to the correct length, stripped to the right depth and labelled to match the project — so the wiring stage starts with parts that are right the first time, rather than re-checked by hand. Rittal cites productivity gains of up to a factor of ten compared with manual preparation, with finished wires sorted for assembly via a wire rail system, chain bundle or ejector.
From engineering data to finished wire: a connected workflow
The value of automation grows when it is connected to the engineering data behind it. Because Rittal and Eplan are part of the same group, wire lists created in Eplan's engineering software can feed the Wire Terminal directly, and the processed wires can flow into the enclosure wiring stage using Eplan's "Smart Wiring" tool.
This is the practical meaning of a digital thread: the same data defined during design drives production, with fewer manual hand-offs and fewer opportunities for transcription errors. For a builder like Senekis, it means engineering, wire preparation and assembly work from one consistent source of truth.
Commissioned for reliable operation from day one
A machine of this kind delivers its value only when it runs reliably from the start. The assembly and commissioning at Senekis were carried out by the Rittal Service Team, which handled installation and start-up so the system was production-ready and operating dependably from the first day.
That on-site support closes the loop on the investment: engineering software, automation hardware and lifecycle service from a single source, rather than a machine left for the customer to integrate alone.
Why automated wire processing pays off for panel builders
For manufacturers weighing a similar step, the case is straightforward. Automated wire processing standardises quality, shortens preparation time, reduces wiring errors, and lets skilled people focus on higher-value work — advantages that compound as production volume and project complexity increase. It is a route many panel builders are taking to stay competitive as demand grows and manual capacity becomes harder to expand.
Frequently asked questions
What is automated wire processing? Automated wire processing uses a machine to cut, strip, crimp wire end ferrules and label wires without manual handling. It replaces repetitive manual preparation with a standardised, consistent process driven by project data.
What does the Rittal Wire Terminal WT do? It performs length-cutting, insulation-stripping, wire end ferrule fitting and labelling in one fully automated sequence, producing up to 36 different wires with cross-sections from 0.5 mm² to 6 mm² without manual intervention or retooling.
How much faster is automated wire processing than doing it by hand? Rittal reports that automated wire processing can be up to ten times faster than equivalent manual preparation, while also improving precision and reducing the errors that lead to rework and downtime.
Who installs and commissions the machine? At Senekis, the Rittal Service Team carried out assembly and commissioning, ensuring the system was correctly installed and reliably operational from day one.
Interested in automating your panel wiring? Explore the Wire Terminal WT and Rittal Automation Systems range, or learn more about the Rittal Service Team.