Mr. Scharf, new applications using data are a recurring theme at the trade fair. Is data now replacing paper at Rittal?
Anyone who has ever taken a look at production knows this picture: thick paper folders with machine and system documentation in the enclosure. From Eplan and Rittal 's point of view, this is no longer in keeping with the times, when the data is actually available digitally and can be used centrally. So in future, every Rittal enclosure in the VX25, VX SE, AX and KX series will have its own 'place' in the Eplan Cloud. Using a QR code on the enclosure, the owner can access the machine and system documentation, including the digital twin, in the Eplan Cloud.
Saving paper is only the most immediate benefit. Even this should not be underestimated. Depending on the system, 500 or more pages of documentation can quickly accumulate, which are often printed out again when changes are made. Eliminating this paper not only benefits the environment by reducing CO2 emissions. If all the data is already available thanks to end-to-end digital processes from engineering to construction, the machine and plant documentation can also be created digitally much more quickly.

And beyond that?
A major advantage of the digital version is that it can be used for other purposes: with the digital circuit diagram pocket, the machine and system documentation is always up-to-date and available from any device, regardless of location, even when the system is in operation. For service and maintenance staff, for example, this means that if the owner of the 'ePocket' gives them access, they can easily access the circuit diagrams via the integrated 'Eplan eView' directly on the system using a smartphone or tablet. In the event of repairs, this ensures that they can be found quickly and that faults can be rectified quickly."

So the digital twin of plant engineering is becoming a twin for plant operation and service?
This could be described as a clear development perspective. From engineering to sourcing and manufacturing, the benefits of data are increasingly extending into operation and service. Our customers are using end-to-end data more and more intensively at all stages of the industrial value chain. With the digital circuit diagram, they are taking a further step to ensure that this also applies increasingly to the area of operations. From now on, the digital twin will accompany the real control cabinet throughout its entire life cycle - this ensures efficiency and eliminates sources of error. If all the electrical engineering data of a machine or system is available digitally, changes can be fed directly back into the project and potential downtimes can be reduced to a minimum.

Does this also change cooperation and business models?
We at Rittal and Eplan are convinced of this trend. The intelligent tracking options and the information content of the data will grow and open up new perspectives. Large industrial companies in particular are already striving for comprehensive transparency in their production, which is demonstrated not least by the development of our sister company and PLC co-exhibitor German Edge Cloud with its Edge Cloud-centered IIot platform. Control and switchgear systems should not fall behind as part of the factory.
There are also future opportunities for smart service models. Control and switchgear manufacturers can establish themselves more firmly as partners to their customers through simple data exchange. Our expectation for the industry is that in the near future, operators, planners, switchgear manufacturers and maintenance technicians will also remain in permanent contact and do business with each other in new ways when operating the systems.