Are your electrical engineers using CAE software? They should.

Modern computer-aided engineering (CAE) software enables tedious and time-consuming engineering design functions to be performed automatically and instantaneously. With such software, users can benefit from increased productivity, shorter project turnaround times and improvements in product quality. The latest CAE software solutions provide design automation, automatic report generation and data integration tools that can reduce engineering times up to 50% when compared with traditional, manually intensive CAD-based drafting packages.

Figure 1: Modern computer-aided engineering (CAE) software enables tedious and time-consuming engineering design functions to be performed automatically and instantaneously. Source: Pixabay

The best packages support design modules for commonly used functions such as motor starters. These modules can be developed and tested once, then reused as needed in any number of designs with the software taking care of changes such as component designations and wire numbers. Not only does this approach reduce engineering time, it also ensures design uniformity and greatly reduces the risk of errors. The software can automatically adapt the imported circuit diagram to conform with standards, regulations and user-defined guidelines.

Digital twin technology is gaining popularity

Support for 3D design is also a feature of the latest CAE software and it makes design much simpler and more accurate. Engineers can readily see whether they have chosen the optimum layouts for components and cable runs, which eliminates the need for shop-floor changes and saves a lot of time during panel manufacture. Some packages go even further and can generate a “digital twin,” which allows the panel to be virtually tested — and even virtually demonstrated to the end user — before the design even reaches the shop floor.

As would be expected, CAE systems invariably produce detailed mechanical and electrical drawings for control panels, but they can also do much more by, for example, automatically generating terminal schedules, bills of material (BOMs), PLC I/O allocation tables and other essential items of documentation. Not only do these features relieve design engineers of much tedious work, they also ensure accuracy and completeness.

Furthermore, when a CAE system is used for panel design, drawings and documentation no longer need to be synonymous with paper. Instead, drawings and documents can be formatted for direct display on the screen of a computer or a tablet. This brings big benefits. Layout drawings generated in 3D can, for example, be rotated to provide views from any angle and all of the items are easy to keep up to date because they are accessed as needed from a central repository. No more problems on the shop floor or onsite because outdated paper drawings have accidentally been used.

What the future holds

Only truly comprehensive solutions for optimizing processes in electrical system design will help users make real progress. This means that there is a greater need for combined hardware and software solutions, product-related data and holistic services for process integration throughout the customer’s operations. When all the solutions really come together, the end result is enormous gains in productivity and profitability.

This is why EPLAN believes that in the future, CAE software will play an even greater role in planning, designing and organizing engineering projects. The software will enable better and faster communication between customers and manufacturers, as well as providing greater integration with manufacturing technologies available on the shop floor.

As a result, engineers using CAE software will be able to work more efficiently and respond more rapidly and effectively to customer requirements, however complex these may be. In the future, CAE software is expected to become more responsive and to allow direct communication between plants and machines, integrating all areas of manufacturing seamlessly. Although not quite artificial intelligence, next generation CAE software will be somewhat akin to a guiding mentor, wisely advising design engineers in their work and helping them make the most of its in-built knowledgebase.

For more information on the CAE software, visit the EPLAN website.