27 www.drivesncontrols.com February 2026 SPS SHOW REVIEW n Rittal Automation Systems has unveiled a new wire-handling system that uses compressed air to feed pre-assembled wires used for panel-building and switchgear manufacturing. The new system transports the wires just-in-time and just-in-sequence from a wire terminal to up to four workstations, and is claimed to achieve wire assembly time savings of up to 90%. The new system, demonstrated at SPS, can be used as an extension to Rittal’s Wire Terminal WT C automatic wire assembly machine. The system, consisting of a wire distributor, a wire receiver, and Teflon transport hoses, is designed to handle wires with cross-sections from 0.5–6mm², and lengths from 220mm to 4m. The maximum transport distance is 80m. The wire-handling system, used in conjunction with a wire terminal, speeds up the most time-consuming step in panel-building and switchgear manufacturing, resulting in substantial time and cost savings. Instead of removing sets of wires from the terminal in wire rails or chain bundles, the pre-assembled wires are delivered to workstations just-in-time and just-in-sequence, at the push of a button. The system streamlines intralogistics and saves storage space. Embedding the wire-handling system into Eplan’s Smart Production software ensures that the wires are delivered to workstations on time and in the correct order. Using data from a digital twin created during planning and designing, the software guides users step-by-step through the wiring process, and requests the required wires from the wire terminal and the output system. This allows less experienced or semi-skilled personnel to perform wiring far faster, and error-free. Rittal says that the new wire-handling system closes a gap in the end-to-end, datadriven automation of panel building and switchgear manufacturing. The manufacturing process can now be managed more efficiently, and companies can satisfy customer demands faster, with fewer skilled workers. “The new wire-handling system immediately generates added value by further accelerating the wiring process and by reducing errors through the interaction of Eplan software and the output system,” says Thorsten Eberz, head of product management at Rittal Automation Systems. “At the same time, companies can begin preparing for the future of panel-building and switchgear manufacturing: the wire distribution system can be used, not only to supply workstations, but also future wiring robots.” www.rittal.com The German drives and motors manufacturer Baumüller unveiled a series of high-power servodrives at SPS that are designed to be connected to a DC link rather than directly to the power supply, ensuring that short-term load peaks do not affect the level of the connected load and therefore do not raise connection prices. The b maXX 6800 drives (part of the b maXX 6000 series) can be used in combination with the similar b maXX 6500 single-axis drives. Eliminating the infeed creates a cost-optimised variant for higher power levels. The b maXX 6800 drives cover a power range from 40– 315kW in three frame sizes. Numerous cooling options are available. Using through-panel mounting, the power loss in the control cabinet can be reduced. In many cases, costly cabinet cooling or air conditioning can be avoided. A water-cooling option reduces the footprint and allows economic cabinet layouts. Baumüller was also showing servomotors and torque motors with high power densities achieved using oil or water cooling. The liquid cooling is implemented either via channels in the stator or by using a special jacket in the motor housing. Liquid-cooled motors can often be smaller than air-cooled motors, saving space, while increasing dynamics to cut cycle times. The liquidcooled motors can also be operated at high torques. www.baumueller.com At SPS, Siemens was demonstrating generative-AI powered Copilots that can be used to automate entire workflows. The Engineering Copilot TIA is a generative AI-powered assistant that operates alongside Siemens’TIA Portal, allowing automation engineers to work smarter and faster by issuing natural language instructions that automatically generate and modify project elements. Offered as a managed service, the beta version integrates with TIA Portal versions 19 and 20, executing complex engineering tasks directly. Unlike traditional tools that merely offer suggestions, the new Copilot executes complex engineering tasks autonomously – generating and modifying project elements automatically, and delegating time-consuming and repetitive work so engineers can focus on high-value activities. The Copilot offers capabilities such as code generation and testing, visualisation development, project localisation and workflow automation. It also provides configuration support for hardware and drives, as well as guidance and contextual assistance throughout the TIA Portal environment. Users can enable or disable these capabilities depending on their requirements. “With the autonomous execution capabilities of the Engineering Copilot TIA, we're transforming how engineers work,” says Rainer Brehm, chief operating officer of Siemens’ automation business and chief technology officer of Siemens Digital Industries. “We empower engineers to work more efficiently and confidently. The Copilot handles many repetitive engineering tasks autonomously, allowing engineers to focus on high-impact work while development times are significantly reduced. This is crucial for industrial companies in an increasingly competitive environment.” Siemens is currently testing the beta version with pilot customers, including the German machinebuilder, F Zimmermann. “We not only save time in engineering – we also gain quality and innovative strength,” says Zimmermann’s head of software development and commissioning, Christian Gaarz. “AI support helps our teams focus on important development tasks, and our customers benefit from faster machine availability.” www.siemens.com Siemens takes next step towards autonomous production High-power drives connect to a DC link, cutting operating costs Compressed air wire delivery cuts assembly times by up to 90% Automation engineers can use Siemens’ Engineering Copilot TIA to automate entire workflows Rittal’s wire-handling system transports preassembled wires from a wire terminal to up to four workstations
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