The 'Weidmüller Configurator' (WMC) supports engineering and provides 3D models as a digital twin.

© Weidmüller

The PC has long since replaced the thick catalogs on our desks. While in the beginning it was little more than a monitor view of the printed pages, the ordering process has now changed completely. The 'Weidmüller Configurator' (WMC) is an example of how this can look in detail:

Instead of searching through long lists, the system manufacturer can start the configurator and begin the ordering process. The software speeds up the selection, project planning and ordering of mounting rail components from the supplier's range. Thanks to a self-explanatory interface and drag & drop functions, it is intuitive to use and, thanks to a plausibility check, prevents or automatically corrects incorrect superstructures. Only suitably selected accessories can be added to the current configuration. The tool also contains a database with best-practice solutions for standardized projects. As it also includes virtual labeling, the planning and labeling of components is carried out in a single step thanks to direct interfaces to CAD programs and marking software.

Users can also integrate the tool into the workflow with E-CAD systems. The product data from the configurator can be fully integrated into all common engineering systems - for example 'Eplan Electric P8' or 'Zuken E³.series'. A high level of detail in the mounting rail assembly increases the planning quality compared to E-CAD tools: The common engineering systems generate the image of a terminal strip, for example, which is designed purely according to electrical functions; the mechanical accessories are missing. Users can either complete this manually or leave it to the configurator, which completes the project with the appropriate accessories such as end plates, end brackets and markings. The tool sends the prepared data records back to the engineering system so that the user can continue working with the complete data record. This detailed, virtual image - the 'digital twin' - can also be used to generate 3D views, which make dimensioning, wiring and marking easier during enclosure construction.

Once the configuration is complete, the user can request a customized quotation within a few minutes at the touch of a button. Based on various 'service levels', they receive the individually assembled products in just a few days.

Ready to robot

Automatic assembly of the individually realized, ready-to-install terminal strip.

© Weidmüller

To improve and speed up the assembly and labeling service, Weidmüller relies on robot-friendly component design and push-in connection technology. At the Hannover Messe 2018, the company therefore presented an automatic terminal strip assembly with the resulting added value of a digitalized and automated process chain for machine and production systems. In this demonstrator, the terminal strip was accompanied from configuration and fully automated assembly through to intralogistics and completion. At Hannover Messe 2019, the company integrated a technology demonstrator for fully automated marking into the existing process:

Previously, the state of the art was to print a mat with markers, which were then cut out of the mat and attached to the components. However, this time-consuming process carries the risk of incorrect assembly. Weidmüller simplifies this work step with a marking process in which the terminals are already fitted with neutral markers that are printed on the assembled rail. The digital twin created with the 'WMC' also plays an important role here, in that the individual marking levels are generated from its data and sent directly to the 'Klippon Automated RailLaser'. The operator simply has to insert the loaded mounting rail into the system and then press the start button. A data matrix code on the back of the mounting rail ensures that the correct program is called up. The 'Klippon Automated RailLaser' first checks the inserted mounting rail and compares the digital and real models. The markers are then labeled directly on the terminal blocks. The color of the markers used is irrelevant; in addition to white and yellow, markers of other colors can be printed fully automatically. This option means that industry-specific color requirements or individual user color schemes can be implemented.

Based on the digital twin, the 'Klippon Automated RailLaser' knows the position of the marker and the respective material and can therefore set the optimum marking parameters fully automatically. Automated pre-fitting of the mounting rail is not a must, as manually fitted mounting rails can also be marked without errors thanks to an extensive measuring device in the device. The advantages are particularly evident on mounting rails with different terminal block contours or several 'terminal blocks': Individually cutting out the marker from a MultiCard mat, assigning the marker to the correct component and snapping the marker onto the respective component are a thing of the past.

The digital twin, which the 'WMC' generates automatically, provides the user with the database for fully digital production. Standardized interfaces ensure the seamless integration of virtual product data into engineering tools and product lifecycle management (PLM) systems.

Author:
Silke Lödige is a trade press officer at Weidmüller in Detmold.