Editor’s Pick: EPLAN Platform 2.5

Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:

Managing and controlling engineering data is hard. But toss in designing and simulating plants, electrical panels, hydraulic systems, production processes and digital factories, and it gets more complicated. Then factor in manufacturing and servicing machinery for automobiles, machine tools and power generation, and you have a world of applications cranking out data that you need to use and organize. Today's Pick of the Week goes to the heart of managing, controlling and using complex engineering data.

EPLAN Software & Services recently released version 2.5 of its EPLAN Platform and its suite of applications for jobs involving things like mechatronics, control cabinet and switchgear engineering, and electrical and fluid power engineering. EPLAN Platform is the foundation connecting the EPLAN applications to each other. It is also kernel-like by creating a basic data format and consistent functions across the applications. In short, the EPLAN Platform is designed to accelerate engineering processes as well as manage and control the documents generated from concept design through detailed engineering, manufacturing and service.

Version 2.5 takes this project, process and data management focus further. Among the key enhancements announced are faster template creation and a new navigator functionality that makes it easier to create and edit electrical and fluid power engineering macros. Version 2.5 now also offers page- and area-specific revision management. That means you can revise project areas such as functional structures, location definitions and disciplines, and that your changes are apparent throughout the entire process.

The terminal editor feature has been enhanced with graphical representations of terminal types and categories that should enable fast and clear validation of selected terminal strips. EPLAN also made major enhancements to its EPLAN Harness proD 3D system for wire harness design, coupling it with the EPLAN Platform's central parts manager. This provides a single, integrated parts management system over the course of a project and enables continuous workflows from schematics through to production documentation. Master data workflows now support the extrapolation of 2D symbols for nailboard drawings from 3D models.

Enhancements to EPLAN Platform Version 2.5 enable users to quickly validate terminal strips with use of the graphic representation of terminals types and terminal categories. Image courtesy of EPLAN Software & Services LLC.

You can learn more about EPLAN Platform Version 2.5 from today's Pick of the Week write-up and the links at the end of the main text. To really get the idea what EPLAN can mean for you watch the on-demand webinar “EPLAN Platform Version 2.5 Highlights” and then get yourself the trial version. Good stuff.

Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering

Learn about EPLAN Platform 2.5 here.