IWK Verpackungstechnik GmbH near Karlsruhe has been synonymous with cutting-edge technology and reliability for over 125 years. Turnkey, economical solutions tailored to customer processes are IWK's specialty. Their range extends from the packaging concept via the design and production of machines to the maintenance, service and optimization of existing plants for primary and secondary packaging.
5,000 plants and no end in sight
In 1994, IWK started its first project with AUCOTEC's engineering system ELCAD, which involved everything from I&C design to cabinet layout. Over 27 years later, the company's faith in the tool and satisfaction with its performance remain intact. 'We have developed and delivered over 5,000 projects with ELCAD, each involving between 100 and 300 pages,' explained Timo Raff, electrical engineer in the hardware area and an ELCAD administrator. 'ELCAD offers very extensive, flexible functions and is also simple and easy to use.' The system has more than proven itself with over one million pages of diagrams. To ensure that this remains the case, IWK rigorously implements regular software updates.
Legacy data
Despite all the updates over the decades, however, even data from the first projects with the current ELCAD version can still be used. AUCOTEC attaches major importance to upward compatibility, and this is even ensured for customers who change systems within the AUCOTEC product family. 'Very old projects can sometimes be a bit cumbersome, but we usually transfer legacy data from an older version to the current ELCAD simply by clicking on it. This preserves the high value of previously compiled data and enables proven projects and their symbol libraries to serve as a template, which saves a lot of time,' said Raff.
Modular
IWK works in a consistently modular manner because of its variety of versions; this enables short delivery times despite highly individual customizing. ELCAD's structure and scaling make it much easier for the electrical design team to combine the modules. As a further highlight, the electrical engineer mentioned the command language for his own adaptations and automations. And: 'AUCOTEC is always open to our change requests. For example, various functions for which we previously needed the command language were converted into ELCAD processes,' said Timo Raff.
Always up-to-date
Thanks to a convenient SAP connection, IWK has master data and BOMs that are always up-to-date, without overlaps and duplications. The future use of ELCAD's maintenance app is planned to ensure that even the service experts easily remain up-to-date without any tedious paper diagrams. Raff's conclusion: 'We still have a lot planned for ELCAD. It is perfect for our electrical design.'
