Since April 2023, Rittal has been operating a pre-assembly center in Gera to support customers with pre-assembled 'VX25 Ri4Power' power distribution systems and prefabricated copper busbars for the rapid assembly of systems. The Rittal Application Center was opened to customers on September 21. Prof. Friedhelm Loh and the Rittal management team ceremoniously shared the red ribbon with Gera's Lord Mayor Julian Vonarb and got straight into conversation with the first customers at an information and networking event.

"The new Rittal Application Center is a competence center for holistic solutions. Customers can not only order prefabricated copper busbars there as the work results of the machines, but can also take a look at the manufacturing process and the possibilities on their own store floor during a visit," says Uwe Scharf, Managing Director of Rittal Sales Germany. Rittal Automation Systems and copper specialist Ehrt from the Group also offer the machines in conjunction with Eplan as automation solutions for the shopfloor of switchgear manufacturers.

In Gera, visitors will be able to work with experts from Rittal, Eplan and Ehrt to find out which automation steps achieve the best effect in their own production when setting up switchgear. They can test this directly with their own projects on the live machines. The machines are part of the coordinated software and hardware solutions from Rittal, Eplan and Rittal Automation Systems, which aim to accelerate and optimize the process in control and switchgear construction.

Which machine and which solution pays off fastest for which type of order? Is it worth investing in an in-house automation solution? Or will the scarce personnel resources in the current situation be freed up more quickly for value-adding process steps if the Rittal system technology and copper rails are initially purchased pre-assembled and prefabricated from Gera? For these and other questions relating to energy, power and process automation, a contact point based on the innovative Rittal Application Center concept has been set up in Gera.

Rittal Application Centers are currently being launched worldwide as 'fitness camps' for control and switchgear manufacturers. Customers and new customers can work on their projects together with experts from Eplan, Rittal and Rittal Automation Systems, and get to know and try out new technologies. They can bring their own projects, test new workflows for efficiency in real workshop environments and experience the benefits of software solutions and automation technology.