Reduce project templates and typicals by a good two thirds? No problem with AUCOTEC's Engineering Base, as demonstrated by the project at TenneT, among others. The network operator achieves a reduction of around 20 per cent in the project planning time from standardization and reduction of master data maintenance alone and sees far more potential. Because there is so much more to EB: thanks to the software, documenting an entire plant with virtually just one click is already no longer a thing of the future.
Building blocks for more quality
In large plants, thousands of devices are connected to each other. Each one has to meet certain requirements so that in the end everything works as planned. During the planning process, it is therefore all the more important to always keep an overview so that no mistakes creep in. In addition, planners often have to take individual customer wishes into account – copying an old project and readapting it still doesn't bring them any further forward. Faults that were corrected during commissioning are usually not noted. So, everything is planned again manually, but that uses a lot of time and resources.
This is exactly where AUCOTEC comes into play with the Advanced Typical Manager (ATM) for EB. The idea behind it: tested standard modules and easy-to-use options and variant management. This not only significantly shortens project lead times, but also increases the quality of the plants. The library-based software EB is the brain behind it – components can be prefabricated and kept in the library for multiple reuse. Changes only have to be entered once, the next user always receives the latest status. EB's "single source of truth" makes the current plant data available to all parties involved at all times.
More structure, fewer typicals
The structure behind the Typical Manager is made up of the requirements for the plant. For example, a module consists of a gripper including control, mechanics, hydraulics and software programming. However, it can also represent smaller units, such as circuit components. In each "typical" you will find all the associated sheets, devices, cables and wires. This "typical" is then always used as a whole. If changes arise during the planning process, they can be easily incorporated without destroying the adaptations already finished. In this way, the number of typicals can be significantly minimized.
Options and variants
With the help of options, the modules can also be further customized and circuit components stored in EB. All options belonging to a variant are displayed directly with the sheet preview.
Another new feature of EB version 2022 is that variants can now also be grouped. This leads to even faster and easier planning. The variant "Heating" as an example can occur in many functions of the plant. Previously, a separate variant combination had to be created for each variant. Now you can create a grouping for "Heating" below the typical and add the variant "Heating" from the grouping during the ATM run. Of course, changes to the group are automatically passed on to all groupings already placed. This makes planning much easier and the plant is documented virtually on the fly. But not only that: AUCOTEC customers speak of a third fewer typicals in use. Errors and control input are reduced and quality improves – so what more do you need?
