To enhance project efficiency, a panel builder and switchgear manufacturer must fulfil two core requirements: data must be available from end to end, and must be of high quality. Belgium-based Engie Fabricom has demonstrated how this can be achieved. The mid-size company deploys VX25 large enclosures, not least because Rittal provides robust, highly granular planning data. To ensure data for the entire lifecycle, Engie Fabricom, which has a workforce of 300 and executes projects for industrial customers, employs Eplan software for its engineering tasks. In the case of the VX25, the standard Eplan macros can be used without modification, streamlining the planning process. The data generated by engineering activities form the basis for all downstream processes across the entire value chain for Engie Fabricom’s panels and switchgear solutions. For instance, they are harnessed to manage a Perforex CNC machining centre from Rittal Automation Systems. This is used to process enclosures, switchgear components and mounting plates. The combination of high quality and end-to-end availability of data helps eliminate costly manual tasks.
The very first projects with the new VX25 made clear that data quality was not going to be an issue.
New switchgear system with excellent data
Engineering, production planning and execution are all closely intertwined. All three require highly accurate data, and this is therefore a top priority at Engie Fabricom. The company makes use of Eplan macros, digital models for Eplan Pro Panel software, and technical drawings. “Once we had uploaded all the order data into our ERP system, we were, thanks to Rittal’s rapid delivery, able to get started with the VX25 right away,” recalls Els Vanbrabant, Head of Engineering and Workshop Manager at Engie Fabricom. The switch to the new enclosure was also simplified by the fact that the assembly plate dimensions are identical to those of the predecessor product. “There was no need for us to change pre-formatted layouts from legacy projects,” states Vanbrabant.
The very first projects highlight the advantages
The strengths of the VX25 became apparent when wiring and installing the very first enclosures of this type. “Disassembly and assembly of the doors, and the assembly of the comfort handle, are now far simpler,” emphasises Danny Rutten, Project Leader at Engie Fabricom: “And the many possibilities offered by the new frame and base/plinth system contribute to the VX25’s flexibility.” In one of the very first projects, for instance, the enclosures were fitted with two mounting plates, and doors at both front and rear. This allowed the best possible use to be made of available space.
Overview
- Project
- Engie Fabricom
- Location
- Brussels, Belgium
- Branch
- Electrical-and-Automation
- Challenge
Consistent data management
Fewer manual activities in the workshop
- Solution
Engineering software from Eplan enables consistent data management
No manual activities in the workshop thanks to Perforex from Rittal Automation Systems
High data quality