Modern design software is transforming industrial manufacturing, increasing automation-enabled efficiency and helping address labor shortages. The right software tools can increase efficiency, improve safety and streamline design and production for panel shops and other manufacturers. This technology can even help panel shops manage generational transitions in their businesses. The use of modern design software is increasing in the field of automation.
Modern Design Software
The nVent HOFFMAN Design to Manufacturing (DTM) Software is a proven and simple engineering solution for designers and manufacturers to plan and design electrical enclosures, machines and factory systems. The software automates panel design and building through an intelligent workflow that includes the creation of a digital twin visualized in both 2D and 3D. It also automatically checks, enforces and reports electrical and mechanical design quality standards.
This software can predict errors early in the design process preventing unnecessary construction and production costs while enabling efficiency and accuracy. Automated panel shops that use software to design products are able to seamlessly deploy designs to the automation machines and technicians on the shop floor. Since the design software is able to catch errors early on, panel shop employees can spend their time focusing on work instead of mitigating issues or errors.
For manufacturers that have not implemented automated solutions in their facilities, it can be difficult to know where to start. This is not an easy transition and may require starting small projects with staff that are open to learning about new technologies. Learn more about making the transition here.
The Automation Transition
Many panel shops are going through transitions as family businesses are handed down to the next generation. As experienced engineers and production specialists age out of the workforce, DTM software can help ease this transition by simplifying processes and providing the continuity of institutional knowledge. Drag-and-drop functionality and design guardrails prevent costly design mistakes, and clear exportable manufacturing instructions put the power of accurate manufacturing in the hands of less skilled workers.
Additionally, DTM can be used to capture and preserve the knowledge of outgoing experts for future generations. The software’s centralized intelligent library improves and enables standardization and easily captures automation strategies and processes. It also stores engineering and manufacturing rules and considerations to make processes more standardized and repeatable. This can help new engineers and manufacturers make improvements to existing designs, while preserving expertise learned over years of panel building.
As we move towards a more sustainable and electrified world, modern design software moves us in the right direction, especially in automation applications. At nVent, driving efficiency and quality to support industrial automation is key.
Learn more about our automation solutions: Industrial Automation | nVent
