Meeting market requirements: Converting edz files with the AmpereSoft ToolSystem

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The CAE future is ECLASS. Because only with this standard can Industry 4.0 promises such as automated, efficient and, as far as possible, error-free engineering be realized. Uniformity is therefore the goal. Many steps have already been taken along the way, but it will still take time before ECLASS is used everywhere on a mandatory basis. For example, data for engineering is often still available in proprietary file formats such as the edz format. The AmpereSoft tool system does justice to this. 

We at AmpereSoft drive and actively support the further development of ECLASS.  Because the product data standard allows the standardized and unambiguous classification and description of products and services – language-neutral, machine-readable and industry-independent. More than 47,000 product classes and over 22,000 characteristics can already be mapped in the ECLASS format, which accounts for the majority of traded goods and services. The trend is upward.

However, for example, symbol data of the products of most manufacturers is still available today as edz files for historical reasons. awareness of the great value of ECLASS for smart engineering and for automated production processes is growing among many responsible parties – accordingly, they are already making product data available in ECLASS format. However, their scope does not yet exceed that of the available edz files. Therefore, our ToolSystem offers the necessary flexibility to convert edz files and finally to be able to process them further. 

The future in mind, the present in view

We not only want to serve the current market, but also equip our customers for future tasks. There is no doubt about it: In the future, ECLASS will finally establish itself. This is not least ensured by ourselves as an ECLASS Gold Partner and member of the ECLASS CRD/CAx working groups. In the coming years, the demand from users for a comprehensive standard will become even louder. Quite automatically, this will direct the attention of manufacturers to ECLASS.

No surprise, because the standard makes it possible to describe physical information such as the dimensions and properties of a component or the number and position of connections, including information on their cabling. Likewise, characteristic curves of the tripping behavior of switching devices can be mapped. Today, the development of ECLASS is so far advanced that products can even be described functionally. 

All this ensures that the ECLASS format is steadily establishing itself. More and more manufacturers are making their product data available in this standardized form and more and more users are recognizing the resulting advantages. For example, the automated generation of circuit symbols during schematic creation. In the production process already mentioned, the standard unfolds its effect by enabling the exchange of information between the individual machines – a prerequisite for Industry 4.0. No problem with ECLASS. Thanks to the interoperability of the standard, it is reliably possible in machine-to-machine communication to understand, for example, a connection point anywhere in the world with position information in the unit millimeter, uniform axes and unique zero point.

By the way: Do not hesitate to contact us if you ever have any questions about the ECLASS standard or need information about the AmpereSoft ToolSystem and its compatibility with various data formats. We will be glad to help you.