Manually manufacturing control panels is difficult. It demands highly skilled labor, years of reading schematics, and the ability to troubleshoot. What’s more, it’s a time-consuming process. This is where automated and semi-automated panel design and assembly comes in. Not only does this innovation drastically reduce the amount of time spent manufacturing panels, but it also frees up skilled laborers to do higher-value work.
In this episode, we’re joined by Rittal’s Brian Jung and EPLAN’s Kruno Kutnohorski. Join us as we discuss the difference between semi-automated and automated panel design and assembly, how to help customers overcome technology hesitancy, and why automation is nothing to be afraid of.
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3 Quick Things from this Episode
- On average, manual customers take fifty-eight hours to build the panel. Semi-automated brought that time down to around twenty-eight hours, and fully automated reduced it to twenty-one.
- Automating a process doesn’t mean displacing a human. Instead, automation frees them up to other jobs that bring value to the company.
- EPLAN and Rittal have “lighthouse customers” that are among the first to adopt technology, and share data and best practices.
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Tweetable Quotes
- “Before, we had a story to tell conceptually, now we have a story to tell because we have actual data to back it up.” – Brian Jung
- “If we can help customers going from manual to semi-automated, they are saving a lot of time.” – Kruno Kutnohorski
- “You’re not displacing a human, right? They’re doing other jobs that bring value to the company.” – Brian Jung
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What We Discuss with Brian and Kruno
- The difference between automating panels in America and the rest of the world
- The importance of having a story to tell that’s backed by data, rather than just conceptual
- How EPLAN and Rittal use “lighthouse customers”
- Best practices for effective collaboration
- How automation is helping solve the skilled labor shortage
- Why there’s no right or wrong way to start with automation
- Brian’s “Girl Scout cookie enterprise,” and Kruno’s favourite football team and animal!
Recommended Resources
- EPLAN, provides ECAD software and service solutions for electrical panel builders, electrical design, automation and mechatronic engineering
- Rittal, the world’s leading systems provider for Enclosures, Power Distribution, Climate Control, IT infrastructure, 19″ racks, and software and services
- Golden Road Brewing Company, Los Angeles’ largest craft brewer
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