Hardware engineering in process automation: tools, efficiency, and teamwork
Digital tools, new standards, increasing demands – hardware engineering operates in a field of tension between technology, processes, and people.
In the third part of our conversation with Alexander, Head of Hardware Engineering in the
Process Automation division at cts, we discuss the role that tools such as EPLAN play in practice, how efficiency in control cabinet construction is really achieved, how the team deals with the shortage of skilled workers, and what customers can specifically expect.
EPLAN & Co: How much tooling is needed - and where are the limits?
Digital tools are now a key part of almost every automation project. Depending on customer standards, COMOS PT, EPLAN P8 with extensions, ELCAD, WSCAD, PLANEDS, or Sigraph CAE are used for pure cabinet and system planning. Each of these systems has advantages, but also limitations - and challenges the teams in practice.
“Since we often work according to our customers' individual standards, the tool landscape often takes care of itself,” explains Alexander. “When we have a choice, we prefer to use EPLAN because it connects to our database most smoothly. This allows data to be transferred efficiently to control cabinet construction, software, or assembly.”
He makes it clear that tooling is not an end in itself in hardware engineering. It only proves its worth when it is integrated into the structure of the project and supports the overall process – from planning to implementation in process automation.
How do you stay up to date with the latest technology without getting bogged down?
Process automation is developing dynamically: standards are changing, tools are being refined, and new components are coming onto the market. For hardware engineering teams, this means they have to stay up to date at all times.
“We rely on specialization within the team,” says Alexander. “For topics such as ATEX, safety technology, or measuring device design, we have colleagues who keep themselves up to date in a targeted manner - and pass on their knowledge internally.”
This approach has two key advantages: the expertise remains within the company, and at the same time, no one is burdened with information that they do not need in their day-to-day work. “Instead, everyone in the project gets exactly what is relevant at that moment – at the right time and in the right depth,” says Alexander. In practical terms, this means technical certainty without getting lost in the details.
What does “efficiency” mean to you in switch cabinet construction?
In many discussions, efficiency is reduced to speed. However, this approach falls short when it comes to hardware engineering in process automation. It is not only how quickly something is built that is crucial, but also how cleanly processes are prepared and how consistently data flows.
“For us, efficiency doesn't just start in the workshop, but already at the data transfer stage,” explains Alexander. “Our own database ensures that the control cabinet construction department receives all relevant information in a standardized and complete form – from circuit diagrams and assembly plans to parts lists, drilling patterns, and labeling data.”
The effect is immediately apparent in production: "The data always ends up in the same form during the mechanical preparation of the control cabinets. With in-house laser cutting systems and the Steinhauer machining center, mounting plates and housings are mechanically processed and thus arrive perfectly prepared in the control cabinet construction workshop, where the process continues smoothly. And it's the same every time – regardless of whether we're building one cabinet or a hundred.“
For Alexander, this is the core of efficiency: ”Clean handover, clear processes, and preparation that makes the difference between ‘quickly assembled’ and ‘cleanly manufactured’."
How do you deal with the issue of skilled labor shortages?
The shortage of skilled workers also affects control cabinet construction and hardware engineering. While the demand for qualified specialists is increasing, the challenge of retaining knowledge within the company and successfully training new employees is also growing.
“We all face this challenge,” says Alexander. “We have decided to tackle it head-on by providing targeted training and further education for newcomers and career changers.”
Teamwork is key here: “No one is left alone at our company, even when it comes to technical questions or under time pressure. And there's no shortage of fun. Many of our colleagues have been with us for many years – not because they have to, but because it's the right fit.” For
process automation, this means that expertise is continuously built up and secured without compromising on quality and reliability.
What sets cts apart in hardware engineering?
“What really sets us apart is our team - and how we work together,” says Alexander. "At cts, you never get just a single service. Everyone in hardware engineering can draw on experience in specific areas of expertise - be it ATEX, safety engineering, or the specification of measuring devices.
If a question arises anywhere in the project, there's no long discussion, just help. This cooperation ensures that we achieve more together than we could individually. And that's exactly what our customers experience: solutions that work – because they were conceived as a team from the very beginning."
Whether digital tools, team specialization, efficient processes, or collaboration - hardware engineering in everyday process automation is the result of many factors working together. It is not a single tool or standard that is decisive, but how everything is integrated so that systems can be operated in a stable, traceable, and efficient manner.
In the first part of the interview, Alexander talks about practicality, typical mistakes, and the challenges posed by data overload. The second part deals with the role of standards, the right time for hardware engineering, the relationship between hardware and software, and the importance of documentation.
If you are facing similar issues or need support in hardware engineering, please feel free to contact us. Together, we will develop solutions that work in your production environment – reliably, transparently, and with a view to the future.