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Since its founding in Germany in 1962, nVent SCHROFF has been synonymous with groundbreaking innovation. The journey began with the development of a subrack for Eurocards, which played a significant role in establishing the 19-inch standard globally. Today, nVent continues to set benchmarks in electronic infrastructure, pioneering solutions for a wide range of applications. nVent SCHROFF’s globally recognized products are known for their combinability, modularity, and scalability, and they meet both national and international standards for electronic packaging.
CUSTOMER: nVent/Schroff
INDUSTRY: Electronic device manufacturing, telecommunications, data centers, and traffic technology
PROJECT: Virtual assembly of electronic cabinets
SOLUTION: Product configuration, virtual reality
TECHNOLOGIES: CADClick®
For nVent/Schroff we have developed the Novastar electronic cabinet configurator of the Schroff brand. The configurator has a real-time plausibility check and enables immediate CAD data generation as well as CAD data download in numerous formats.
With the CADClick® ccAssembler Online module, the standard cabinet can be easily and intelligently combined into a custom electronic cabinet. By clicking on the modification area, users can drag and drop desired components into the cabinet frame. Nearly 30 different Novastar frame sizes are available. The plausibility control continuously checks all configuration steps, automatically correcting invalid combinations. The “Cut-Out Editor” function allows for the addition of custom cutouts to any configured enclosure parts. Predefined cutouts stored in a library can also be applied. The “Label” module adds text fields or logos for custom labeling.
The parameterized generation of models in CADClick® all product combinations can be used in assembly. The products or the set of rules can be modified at any time. Using the ccWebGL 3D viewer, the finished 3D model can be viewed in 360° in browsers without an additional plug-in.
Users can generate 2D or 3D models of the electronic cabinet directly from the configurator and import them into their CAD systems. The user has access to numerous CAD output formats, as well as standard exchange formats such as STEP, SAT, or DWG/DXF. A notable feature is the creation of a 3D PDF datasheet, including bill of materials and separate 2D views. The bill of materials with the installed components is automatically updated and can be shown or hidden at any time. If a part is deleted from the bill of materials, it also disappears from the 3D model in the configuration area, and vice versa.
To elevate the user experience, we expanded the online configurator with a Virtual Reality feature. Utilizing new technology—VR in the browser—the assembly of the electronic cabinet can now also be performed in the virtual world using a VR headset.
We placed the configurator model of the cabinet into a virtual 3D server room and adapted it for user configuration. nVent/Schroff customers can move freely around the cabinet frame and, just like in the traditional configurator, add various components. The assembly of components is done with a controller. Simple hand movements allow users to place individual parts such as doors, walls, floors, or shelves. Assembly is facilitated by snap points (anchors) that ensure proper and precise positioning. Potential attachment points and component dependencies are provided by the same rule-based engine used in the existing configurator.
The same CADClick® 3D models are also used, ensuring that changes in the models and rules are automatically available in the VR application. The configuration in the virtual space can be exported to all common CAD output formats. The VR application is enhanced with animations such as movable doors. A special highlight is the ability to walk through and explore the inside of the electronic cabinet!
