The EPLAN Platform: a foundation for efficient engineering

Before getting to the detail engineering, preplanning plays an important role in many fields – particularly in sectors such as energy, building technology and the process industry. EPLAN Preplanning 2027 is coming with a wide range of improvements that enable faster and easier preplanning and support nearly all industry-specific requirements. 

Macro variants for P&ID, for instance, will be able to easily be swapped using a right mouse click. The software will also be offering a new dialogue box for managing P&ID-specific planning objects and, for the macro swap, automatically asks what status the replaced measurement points should be assigned.

The new version will naturally further increase the level of automation in the design process, thus enhancing the user experience. One of the things this includes is the automatic alignment of symbols along the path of auto-connect lines – horizontal or vertical – as well as the automatic display of flow directions with arrows. Moving forward, there will also be no need to manually place symbols at pipe intersections because the software automatically displays the intersection in accordance to norms and standards. 

Cross-references can now also be assigned separately for each discipline – electric, pneumatic and P&ID – during the planning process.

Which motor has which power rating to match my design? With the new dialogue box in the device management of EPLAN Electric P8, you can quickly compare the differences between two or more devices to find the right one. Synchronising identical devices that contain different information in a project and the device database will also become child’s play: a new dialogue box ensures your data remains clearly organised. 

Speaking of speed, information about linked devices is immediately available in the new version of the software: associated components can be displayed directly below one another and linked to the device management tree. Has a device been discontinued and is no longer available? Starting in Version 2027, to ensure that replacing these devices runs smoothly in EPLAN Electric P8 during the project planning phase, users can view the update in the BOM navigator and click directly to the replacement device.

Do you use tags when creating schematics? Then you’ll really enjoy the upcoming version of the software. The EPLAN Electric P8 Insert Center will have at your service an intuitive tag management system that goes well beyond the usual creation and selection of tags. The new dialogue box gives you a complete overview of your tags at all times providing for easy organisation. Which tags are already being used, where, and how often? And which objects are linked to them? The new management options offer maximum transparency for your new and already used tags, not to mention plenty of flexibility to create, assign, delete, rename, group, export and import tags – everything is in one location without any time-consuming searching. 

What exactly does the component or macro contain? In the new version you will also benefit from more information and a clearer overview of your devices in the Insert Center. In addition to the selected component, the preview now also displays all components associated with the one selected and their functional templates – for instance all contacts on the motor overload switch. This allows you to easily browse through your devices and see at first glance what they’re comprised of.

The updated Data Management in the EPLAN Cloud consolidates the management of all relevant data types into a single, centralized app (projects, parts data, master data). 

All three functions are clearly organised within a single application and can be easily accessed via tabs. You can switch seamlessly between the different areas at any time without interrupting your workflow or having to switch apps.