Meier Tobler AG

customX and ecscad - automating electrical schematics

Targets

To automate the creation of PDFs of electrical schematics. The further use of the E-CAD software ecscad was assumed.

Implementation

In interaction with ecscad and SAP, the creation of individual electrical schematics was completely automated. Two employees of Meier Tobler create about 6,000 schematic diagrams a year.

Conclusion

Without customX this number of diagrams would not have been manageable. In addition, only the data that is required for this individual installation is included.

Just electrical schematics

Meier Tobler AG in Schwerzenbach in Switzerland uses the products customX and ecscad from the Man and Machine group for the automated creation of individual electrical schematics of the planned systems in residential construction.

Thousands of electrical schematics

Meier Tobler AG was created as the leading provider of building services solutions in Switzerland in 2018 through the merger of Walter Meier and Tobler Haustechnik AG. Naturally, the company wanted to appear under this new name from then on. This meant, however, that in all documents, among other things, the logo had to be exchanged and the system had to be standardised.

As separate electrical diagrams are provided for all heat generators - be they oil or gas condensing boilers, heat pumps or solar systems - thousands of documents had to be revised in this category alone. It was calculated that this would take about two-man years. That was the moment when Meier Tobler looked around for a possibility of automation.

Wishfulfiller

For many years, the E-CAD software ecscad from the Man and Machine group has been used for the creation of the schematics. So it was to MuM that Meier Tobler turned with his wish for an automation of the schematics. And indeed, the specialists at MuM in Winkel/Switzerland immediately knew a solution: the configuration and digitisation software customX, which is also owned by the group. The first discussions were held and Meier Tobler was quickly convinced that customX would really solve the problem. But not only that: "In the constructive cooperation with MuM, we were able to further sharpen our requirements profile and finally add important points to the specification sheet and thus fulfil our wishes", says Heinrich Kriesi, Product Manager Systems at Meier Tobler, who played a major role in the introduction of customX.

Automatic, individual, fast

In the end, the logos were not simply exchanged and a new catalogue with electrical schematics in PDF format created. Instead, the entire creation of the schematics was automated in interaction with ecscad so that today an individual schematic is created for each system - that is approx. 25-40 schematics per day and more than 6,000 per year. And this with only two employees.

Together with SAP® and ecscad

Everything runs like clockwork: after the order has been entered in SAP®, the office staff arrives at the entry page of customX, enters the order and hydraulic number there and has the individual electrical schema created automatically. The data is saved in a folder, where it is then automatically imported again by SAP. All in all, the process takes only three to four minutes. By contrast, the manual creation of a schematic would certainly take two hours. However, we don't know exactly, because customX has not only accelerated the process, but also changed it to a large extent. Where you used to search for one of thousands of electrical schematics, today an individual schematic diagram is automatically created just in time. The positive side effect: each schematic diagram now only contains what is actually needed for the specific installation.

Independent maintenance and expansion

And if something in the system changes? "No problem," says Kriesi, "You just have to adapt the master schematic diagram via the rules - it's really easy and quick - The thousands of following schematics are then automatically up to date again. It works really well!"

Perfect preparation

Good preparation is important in Kriesi’s opinion. In the planning phase Meier Tobler carefully considered: How should the system run? What should it do? The customX team provided the Swiss company with intensive support. Kriesi sees the systematization phase, on which the entire set of rules is based, as a central element. After the subsequent six-day training course, Kriesi was able to carry out data maintenance and new product creation completely independently.

Strategisch wichtig

Strategically important

"In addition to SAP, customX has become a strategic element for us", emphasises Kriesi at the end and is convinced that the system will be further expanded at Meier Tobler in the coming years and that even more wishes will arise and be fulfilled.

electrical schematics for plant design

In addition to SAP, customX has become a strategic element for us.

Heinrich Kriesi

Produkt Manager Systems, Meier Tobler AG

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