The European 4.0 Transformation Center (E4TC) at the RWTH Aachen Campus has investigated the strategic digitalization of the design and control design of machines and plants. The research report is based on an eight-month field study of German machine and plant manufacturers in series and special mechanical engineering, engineering offices / hardware planners and equipment manufacturers.
For the first time, the methodology developed enables a well-founded reflection of current engineering workflows in series and special mechanical engineering. The central finding: Those who partially automate their engineering achieve the optimum ratio of effort and benefit in terms of business economics.