Knowledge - Digital documentation

Why should you bother with digital documentation?

Hundreds of pages of documentation for a few control cabinets and junction boxes, either in paper form or as a PDF file – this is nothing unusual for machine builders and system manufacturers. However, the SEAP cooperation partners believe that this is no longer appropriate for a number of reasons.

Reasons not to use paper documentation

Lack of change documentation

Static documentation usually only shows the “as built” state at the time of delivery. It then takes a great deal of effort to take into account changes made during installation, commissioning, or subsequent alterations.

Complex search for information

In the event of a malfunction or a defective component, searching for data can be complex – especially in larger systems. Replacement parts cannot be ordered without delay and media discontinuities.

Lack of consistency

The design of the documentation varies greatly – within the applicable standards and directives – because each control cabinet builder has their own signature style.

Lack of additional information

Additional information, such as the carbon footprint of the installed components, is becoming increasingly important and is difficult to implement in paper form.

Goodbye to paper documentation

These points clearly show why classic paper documentation, such as the “good old” circuit diagram pocket, should be reconsidered. Digital alternatives have been around for a long time, and industry associations such as the ZVEI and the VDMA are driving this development forward. The Asset Administration Shell also provides a standardized format that can be used as a basis.

The digital alternative is to provide the customer or operator of the machine with the control cabinet documentation digitally – as it was created. This corresponds to the approach proposed by the ZVEI regarding the digitalization of product information.

The digital twin in practice

The user is provided with a “digital twin” of the control cabinet, which depicts the current state of the machine or system over its entire service life. This can be realized with defined access and change authorizations as well as with functions such as redlining and greenlining, the marking of changes within the documentation.

The digital twin also offers additional advantages, especially in the case of a malfunction. By clicking on the corresponding component in the digitally provided documentation, the maintenance engineer can call up the operating instructions or, if the manufacturer is linked, order the component directly in the online shop. This creates transparency and significantly reduces downtime.

New business models in sight

For control cabinet builders, digitalization not only provides the opportunity to reduce documentation effort, but also opens up a new business model: maintaining and updating documentation as a service. Some control cabinet builders are already implementing this model successfully. A QR code is simply provided on the control cabinet itself. This facilitates digital documentation, which – especially in combination with maintenance and service contracts – significantly simplifies the documentation obligation to the operator. The control cabinet builder can contribute their expertise throughout the entire service life of the system – and increase their sales through continuous service.