WESTFORD, MA, Oct 4, 2023 – Zuken announces the 2023 release of its industry-leading E3.series design platform for ECAD and fluid design. The new release includes numerous enhancements in 3D functionality for control panel design, circuit diagram generation, and an improved user experience. The software’s enhanced 3D functionality allows for more accurate and efficient design, while the improved user experience makes it easier to navigate and find the necessary tools, boosting productivity and ease of use for electrical engineers and designers.
“As products become more complicated, we heard from our user base that 3D functionality is becoming more important. In response, the E3.series 2023 release significantly improves the user experience in 3D viewing and editing for wire harness and control panel design. The enhanced ease of use and 3D functionality in the new release will significantly change the way we design and develop control panel systems,” comments Paul Harvell, E3.series product director, Zuken USA, Inc.
Control Panel Design
The enhancements to the 3D functionality in E3.series’ control panel design applications meet the need for designing control panels in increasingly limited spaces. Elements such as mounting panels can now be arranged and edited at any angle. Similarly, the 2D view of elements of the control panel layout, commonly used to simplify detailed work, has been enhanced with the ability to create multiple directly linked 2D views. The benefit is that changes to the view best suited for the task are updated in real-time on all the 2D views (e.g., the rear panel), eliminating manual synchronization requirements.
Users can now automate the correct stop part selection from a group of parts provided by a chosen manufacturer with the enhancement of cross-section checks for stop parts and component connection points. The automation feature significantly reduces overhead related to defining database parts.
Cross-reference text for cable duct inlets/outlets is now available to jump to and from quickly. These cross-reference texts make it easier for the user to locate where the wires route, accelerating productivity. The cross-reference texts are also active links with the PDF export.
Wire Harness Design
3D enhancements in E3.series, E3.3DTransformer, and E3.formboard allow the import of 3D geometries from mechanical CAD systems in a single operation. 3D geometric cable routes from industry-standard MCAD tools are converted into the 2D views required to create manufacturing documents for harness assembly.
Designers can supplement the views in E3.formboard with the necessary electrical information, such as connector pins and assignments, conduit protection elements, and dimensioning. Users can also directly import harness description formats into E3.series such as Harness XML files, KBL files, and PLMXML files.
Designers can now rename conductors of database cables within the project. Controlling the definition of conductor names will allow designers to input unique conductor naming without requiring an additional attribute. This is especially helpful when multiple cables are being used in the harness design.
Ease of Use
E3.series 2023 improves the user experience with extended access and modification options for device properties, dimensions, and part attributes. Information that previously needed to be changed in separate properties windows can now be accessed and updated directly on the device. Additional checks eliminate unwanted overwriting and maintain consistency.
Like the feature mentioned above, the new release extends the cross-section checks for connectors and devices by introducing a new option to check that the wire or conductor outer diameter is valid when selecting the appropriate wire ferrules or pin terminals for the cavity. An additional check to aid with automating part selection reduces the risk of incorrect part usage and eliminates the need for manual verification.
Including images in a project has been simplified in the 2023 release. Users can now paste graphics and pictures from the Windows clipboard directly onto an E3.series sheet. Users no longer need to save images and import them into the project. This feature eliminates added work and reduces excess files.
The international version of E3.series 2023 in English and German is available now, along with the multi-lingual version with automatic conversion between 12 languages.
About E3.series
E3.series is the leading electrical design solution for cabinet, cable, wire harness, fluid, and power distribution design across all product categories. It enables multiple designers to seamlessly work on a project, automatically keeping data in sync with the help of its object-oriented design and intelligent central parts library. The tool suite also helps users eliminate errors and omissions with active and passive design rule checks. E3.series bridges the gap between automated assembly and manufacturing processes to allow a digital-first workflow from design to manufacture, helping users get closer to a true digital twin.
About Zuken
Zuken is a global software company delivering electrical and electronic design solutions. Founded in 1976, Zuken has a consistent track record of technology innovation and financial stability in the electronic and electrical design automation (EDA) industry. With its CR-8000 and E3.series product families, Zuken provides a robust lineup of system-level 2D/3D electrical and electronic toolsets complemented by comprehensive design data and configuration management capabilities.
Most recently, Zuken has embraced the digital transformation and, more specifically, digital engineering as the way forward with its entry into the Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) industry. Today, Zuken delivers world-class design solutions combining MBSE products and services with a mature, proven electrical and electronic design suite to address the needs of a broad range of industries across the globe.
For more information about the company and its products, visit www.zuken.com.