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The role of Siemens Capital Essentials in ECAD-MCAD integration

ECAD (Electrical Computer-Aided Design) and MCAD (Mechanical Computer-Aided Design) processes are crucial for the development of mechatronic products – integrated systems that combine mechanical, electrical, and computer components, such as robotics, automotive systems and smart devices. ECAD-MCAD integration are important to consider for many reasons.

Synergy between ECAD and MCAD ensures that electrical and mechanical components are designed cohesively, addressing space constraints, connectivity, and performance requirements.  

But there are challenges to achieving this synergy: 

  • First of all, product design is complex. A study by Engineering.com and Jama Software of 300 design and engineering professionals  found that teams without specialized requirements management tools faced production failures (83%), regulatory reprimands (62%), and doubts about their ability to manage requirements effectively (34%). This is particularly true with mechatronic products, which require integrated design across multiple disciplines, precise control systems, and compact components to ensure robust, reliable performance in complex environments. 
  • Secondly, there are challenges with having disconnected domains. When ECAD and MCAD operate in silos, teams often face challenges like inconsistent data, connectivity mismatches and spatial misalignments. For example, electrical designers might struggle with physical space constraints that are only apparent to mechanical designers, and vice versa. These disconnected workflows can lead to errors, increased design cycle times and costly rework. 

As a result of these challenges, design teams are looking for effective ways of integrating ECAD and MCAD design processes. 

The benefits of ECAD-MCAD integration 

Integrating ECAD and MCAD is crucial for modern mechatronic product development because it enhances collaboration and visibility between electrical and mechanical teams. By aligning their workflows, the two teams can share data seamlessly and address design challenges early in the process.  

An interconnected approach enhances collaboration and ensures both domains are synchronized, reducing the need for rework and improving overall design quality. It boosts efficiency by minimizing manual data transfers and reducing the risk of errors that can happen when working with disconnected systems, as well.  

By automating data exchange, design processes can happen concurrently and cohesively, shortening design cycles and speeding time-to-market, all while lowering the risk of costly mistakes. 

Capital Essentials: Bridging the ECAD-MCAD integrations gap 

Capital Essentials, a tool within Siemens Capital suite, plays a key role in facilitating ECAD-MCAD integration by providing seamless data exchange between electrical and mechanical design environments.  

Capital Essentials integrates seamlessly with MCAD tools, such as NX, through Siemens bridges framework and application program interfaces (APIs), enabling the smooth data exchange between the electrical and mechanical domains. Plugins developed using MCAD APIs enable Capital Essentials to maintain a unified data flow, so that changes made in one domain are automatically reflected in the other. This eliminates the need for manual data transfers and reduces the risk of errors. 

By providing a centralized platform for both electrical and mechanical data, Capital Essentials ensures data consistency between 2D and 3D designs, as well as between design teams. Electrical designers can ensure they meet connectivity requirements in the physical harness, while mechanical designers can verify space constraints and other physical parameters. This unified approach supports collaborative design, which, in turn, produces higher-quality products. 

Experience design efficiency with Capital Essentials 

Wondering how Capital Essentials facilitates ECAD/MCAD integration?  Watch our webinar, Achieving design efficiency and innovation,” to check out the components that contribute to this collaborative design approach.

You can also find out more about our Capital Essentials products on our webpage:

  • Capital Wiring Designer Essentials gives engineers a graphical environment for creating wiring diagrams. Full electrical design authoring is made easy via an intuitive user interface and electrically intelligent symbols. Built-in electrical intelligence automates many design tasks.
  • Capital Harness Designer Essentials provides a graphical environment for creating harness and formboard drawings. Its intuitive user-interface makes harness design authoring easy.

Shane Skinner

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This article first appeared on the Siemens Digital Industries Software blog at https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/ee-systems/2024/10/10/siemens-capital-essentials-in-ecad-mcad-integration/