PECM Issue 33 2018 | Page 6

SYSTEMATICALLY INNOVATIVE ENCLOSURES

EDITOR ’ S CHOICE VX25 ENCLOSURE SYSTEM

RITTAL
SYSTEMATICALLY INNOVATIVE ENCLOSURES
After five years of development work , Rittal has unveiled its new VX25 large enclosure system at the 2018 Hanover Trade Fair .
It is the first enclosure system that has been fully developed to meet the requirements for increased productivity in control and switchgear manufacturing , as well as along the Industry 4.0 value chains .
With the “ SYSTEM PERFECTION .” slogan , Rittal has made a major innovative leap ; a leap which has come from its depth of experience , as well as intensive customer feedback and involvement .
The VX25 offers the highest possible quality and consistency of data , reduced complexity and savings in time , as well as safe assembly . More than 25 registered patent and trademark applications demonstrate the high level of innovation that was involved .
How can the best be made even better ? This is the question that Rittal asked itself as it began developing a new enclosure system .
“ The market needs an enclosure that cuts throughput times in engineering and assembly , reduces complexity and that finds a place for itself as a full-grown module in the megatrend of digitisation ,” said Dr Thomas Steffen , Managing Director Research and Development at Rittal .
He added that : “ The new Rittal large enclosure has now become 100 percent Industry 4.0-capable .
With the combination of a real enclosure and its digital twin , the new development will meet every future digitization needs – from online configuration and engineering to assembly , as well as automation , logistics and maintenance .”
Study : observe , listen and learn
Intensive dialogue with Rittal customers was a crucial factor in the development of the new large enclosure system .
During a large-scale , scientifically based , usability study , researchers used words , images and moving film to document the everyday working life of control and switchgear manufacturers , covering ten companies in Germany , eight in the USA and six in China , including small , medium-sized and large companies .
“ This user analysis was an eye-opener . In some cases , we spotted problems that the customers themselves hadn ’ t yet identified ,” said Dr Steffen .
As a result , 150 systematically recorded and specific requirements for a new enclosure
emerged , providing developers and product managers with a robust guide for the actual development work .
Rittal supplemented its findings with those of the customer advisory council ( who were also involved ).
Later , during the development phase , Rittal did not omit one single , essential point .

UNIQUE SYMMETRY . INFINITE POSSIBILITIES .

ENCLOSURES POWER DISTRIBUTION
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