Rockwell Automation, the preeminent company in industrial automation and digital transformation, alongside Eplan, a leader in engineering software, is set to launch an innovative integration at SPS 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany, from November 25–27. This development aims to streamline electrical design and simulation processes.
The integration bridges Eplan’s schematic design tools with Rockwell Automation’s Emulate3D digital twin software. This allows engineers to virtually model, test, and optimize systems — such as industrial robots, control panels, and automated conveyors — prior to any hardware construction. By enhancing workflow efficiency, this integration significantly reduces engineering time and improves accuracy.
“This integration empowers engineers to simulate and validate electrical logic with speed and precision, bridging the gap between design and execution,” stated Gunther Saelzer, director software and control, north region at Rockwell Automation. “By combining schematic design with dynamic simulation, teams minimize the design time for virtual commissioning and bring digital twin capabilities into everyday engineering.”
Incorporating Eplan schematics into the Emulate3D software enables businesses to simulate and validate control systems of production lines within a virtual environment before committing to physical investments. This approach mitigates risk, enhances accuracy, and accelerates development timelines. Engineers can create wiring diagrams and control panels using Eplan’s platform and subsequently utilize Emulate3D to test and validate electrical systems early in the design phase. This linkage between control cabinet layouts and digital twin models improves visibility and collaboration.
Simon Budde, head of partner management at Eplan, remarked, “Together with Rockwell Automation, we’re enabling a smarter, more connected engineering process. This new integration reduces engineering times from days to hours, delivering enormous value to manufacturers and machine builders by unlocking new levels of efficiency in control system design.”
Attendees at SPS 2025 can explore this integration and its advantages at the Rockwell Automation and Eplan booths in Hall 3C.
