「英中对照」Eplan发布Copilot工程助手与Platform 2027，联合Phoenix Contact推进AAS方案

Eplan Next26—launched this May in Munich—was a global engineering event that attracted around 1,500 attendees from 36 countries, offering new products, a Future Lab and a Partner Plaza. Yet apart from its new music festival–like format, with something for everyone, it also provided Jan Fleming with a platform for a bigger message:: “Eplan views itself as the link between the various players in the industry—from component manufacturers to machine and plant-system builders to operators.” And it’s exactly these connections that are set to become increasingly intertwined in the future—not just organizationally, but digitally. The goal is seamless, end-to-end processes, from planning to operations.今年5月在慕尼黑举办的 Eplan Next26 是一场全球性的工程盛会，吸引了来自36个国家的约1,500名与会者，展示了新产品、未来实验室（Future Lab）和合作伙伴广场（Partner Plaza）。然而，除了这种人人都能找到心仪内容的、类似音乐节的全新形式之外，它还为 Jan Fleming 提供了一个传达更大信息的平台：“Eplan 将自身视为连接行业各方参与者的纽带——从元器件制造商到机器与工厂系统制造商，再到运营商。”而恰恰正是这些联系，未来必将变得日益紧密交织——不仅在组织层面，也在数字化层面。其目标是实现从规划到运营的无缝端到端流程。

Directly integrated: the intelligent engineering assistant Eplan Copilot makes validated information available more quickly in the Eplan Platform 2027 and provides specific recommendations for action.

Gradually from copilot to pilot
The most visible kickoff was the launch of Eplan Copilot, which brings together engineering knowledge, platform functionality and specific tasks using natural language. For example, if an engineer wants to know in which projects a specific component has been used, they can just simply input the part number. The AI then searches through all the projects stored in the cloud and returns the results. “We want to make it easy for users to quickly get their bearings in the Eplan software and provide them with information and functions exactly when they need them,” says Fleming, describing the company’s approach.
直接集成：智能工程助手 Eplan Copilot 能够在 Eplan Platform 2027 中更快地提供经过验证的信息，并给出具体的行动建议。

从副驾驶员（copilot）逐步走向驾驶员（pilot）
最引人瞩目的开端是 Eplan Copilot 的发布，它通过自然语言将工程知识、平台功能与具体任务整合在一起。例如，如果工程师想知道某个特定元器件被用在了哪些项目中，只需输入其物料编号即可。随后，AI 会搜索存储在云端的所有项目并返回结果。“我们希望让用户能够轻松地在 Eplan 软件中快速找到方向，并在他们恰有需要的时候为其提供信息和功能，”Fleming 在描述公司这一理念时说道。

However, Eplan draws a clear line between providing assistance and taking over autonomously. Copilot will initially draw on verified Eplan expertise. In the future, knowledge from partner companies, customers and standards will be incorporated. Fleming: “In engineering, the results must be reproduceable and reliable. For this, the architecture has to be right.” That’s why Copilot doesn’t just work with random information scraped from the internet. “Even a machine that is designed 99 percent correctly still won’t work when it comes down to it.” The vision nonetheless remains ambitious; with a growing foundation of knowledge and additional skills, what is starting as a copilot will gradually mature into an autonomous pilot.然而，Eplan 在“提供辅助”与“自主接管”之间划出了一条明确的界线。Copilot 初期将基于经过验证的 Eplan 专业知识开展工作。未来，来自合作伙伴企业、客户以及各类标准的知识也将被纳入其中。Fleming 表示：“在工程领域，结果必须是可复现且可靠的。为此，架构必须正确。”这正是 Copilot 并不只是使用从互联网上随机抓取的信息的原因。“一台即使设计正确率达到99%的机器，到关键时刻仍然无法运转。”尽管如此，其愿景依然宏大；随着知识基础的不断扩展和更多技能的加入，这个起步时作为副驾驶员（copilot）的角色将逐步成熟为一名自主的驾驶员（pilot）。

Jan Fleming at the Eplan Next26 in Munich: “Eplan views itself as the link between the various players in the industry—from component manufacturers to machine and plant-system builders to operators.”

The platform becomes a foundation of data
The next stage of development is Eplan Platform 2027, which has been available since the beginning of September. The company reports that around five hundred customer requests were incorporated into the development process. Fleming speaks of “unconditional user-friendliness.” New functions in Eplan Preplanning, Eplan Electric P8 and Eplan Pro Panel are designed to simplify and further automate steps in the planning process, including in preliminary planning and for generating projects in 3D. That’s why Fleming views this version as much more than just a traditional software update. “The core benefit that Eplan provides companies is the ability to scale—that is to say, making the completion of more projects and more variants manageable using the available resources.”
Jan Fleming 在慕尼黑 Eplan Next26 上表示：“Eplan 将自身视为连接行业各方参与者的纽带——从元器件制造商到机器与工厂系统制造商，再到运营商。”

平台成为数据基石
下一发展阶段是 Eplan Platform 2027，它已于9月初正式推出。据该公司称，约有五百项客户需求被纳入了开发过程。Fleming 称之为“无条件的用户友好性”。Eplan Preplanning、Eplan Electric P8 和 Eplan Pro Panel 中的新功能旨在简化和进一步自动化规划过程中的各项步骤，包括前期规划以及在3D中生成项目。因此，Fleming 认为这个版本远不只是一次传统的软件更新。“Eplan 为企业提供的核心价值在于可扩展性——也就是说，能够利用现有资源，可控地完成更多的项目和更多的变体。”

This also includes systematically organizing reutilization. Rule-based project generation can already deliver significant productivity gains at the moment without necessarily requiring the use of AI. “Scaling doesn’t start only with artificial intelligence,” Fleming notes. “When we standardize, reuse and automatically assemble functions, we gain speed and quality, while also addressing the shortage of skilled workers.” Much of this already works in a rules-based manner. “In Eplan, standardized, reusable schematic functions are assembled into project-specific solutions. AI doesn’t play much of a role in this”—yet massive economies of scale are still achieved.这还包括系统地组织复用。基于规则的项目生成目前已经可以带来显著的生产力提升，而不一定需要使用人工智能。“规模化并非只从人工智能开始，”Fleming 指出。“当我们对功能进行标准化、复用并自动组装时，我们就能获得速度和质量，同时还能缓解熟练工人短缺的问题。”其中大部分已经能够以基于规则的方式实现。“在 Eplan 中，标准化、可复用的原理图功能被组装成面向特定项目的解决方案。人工智能在其中并没有发挥太大作用”——但仍然实现了巨大的规模经济效益。

At the same time, data management in the cloud is becoming more important, strategically speaking. Project data, master data and device data can no longer be treated as separate entities. With Eplan Platform 2027, the synchronization of master data and device data via the Eplan Cloud is set to become an even more integral part of the workflow. Fleming: “For us, end-to-end means that data doesn’t stop at the perimeter of a single application.” So the goal is greater than just a more user-friendly interface. The platform will become a consistent and comprehensive foundation of data for subsequent process steps.与此同时，从战略层面来看，云端数据管理正变得越来越重要。项目数据、主数据和设备数据不能再被视为相互独立的实体。借助 Eplan Platform 2027，通过 Eplan Cloud 实现主数据与设备数据的同步将成为工作流程中更加不可或缺的组成部分。Fleming 表示：“对我们来说，端到端意味着数据不会止步于单个应用程序的边界。”因此，其目标不仅仅是打造更友好的用户界面。该平台将成为后续工艺步骤一致而全面的数据基础。

At Eplan Next26, the manufacturer Eaton demonstrated how deep this data foundation can extend into downstream processes. In a switchgear system plant in China, the Eplan Platform serves as the backbone for the company’s electrical engineering, where humanoid robots use cameras to inspect wiring and verify that the labeling matches the engineering documentation. Fleming sees this as more than just a spectacular AI use-case: “The robot scans the cabinet, compares the labeling with the schematics and recognizes incorrectly labeled or incorrectly wired connections. This demonstrates the advantages that clean engineering data can deliver, all the way through to quality assurance.”在 Eplan Next26 上，制造商 Eaton 展示了这一数据基础可以多么深入地延伸到下游流程。在中国的一家开关设备系统工厂中，Eplan Platform 是该公司电气工程的骨干平台，人形机器人在那里使用摄像头检查接线，并验证标识是否与工程文档相符。Fleming 认为这不仅仅是一个引人注目的人工智能应用案例：“机器人扫描控制柜，将标识与原理图进行比对，并识别出标识错误或接线错误的连接。这展示了洁净的工程数据所能带来的优势，一直延伸到质量保证环节。”

Standards transform data into a process chain
Eplan Smart Sourcing, which also premiered at the Next26, shows just how well this process can work. The solution connects electrical engineering and procurement: during the planning phase, engineers can check whether required components are available from the manufacturers and distributors connected to the system, and also find out when they can be delivered. Critical parts can be replaced earlier in the process and validated bills of materials can be turned over to the procurement department. Fleming: “Smart Sourcing is a great example of how we’re closing the gap in the end-to-end process. It connects a technical decision made in engineering directly to actual availability in the supply chain.”标准将数据转化为流程链
同样在 Next26 上首次亮相的 Eplan Smart Sourcing 展示了这一流程可以多么顺畅地运作。该解决方案将电气工程与采购连接起来：在规划阶段，工程师可以检查所需组件是否可从接入系统的制造商和分销商处获得，并了解何时可以交付。关键部件可以在流程中更早地被替换，经过验证的物料清单可以移交给采购部门。Fleming 表示：“Smart Sourcing 是一个很好的例子，展示了我们如何弥合端到端流程中的缺口。它将工程中做出的技术决策直接与供应链中的实际可用性联系起来。”

Of course, such connections only work when the participating systems speak the same language. That’s why open standards are taking center stage in the Eplan strategy. Fleming: “AI isn’t worth much without clean, standardized data.” The Asset Administration Shell, or AAS, is designed to make data transferable in a structured way regardless of manufacturer. ECLASS Advanced helps provide an important semantic foundation for this. The Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA) uses the AAS to define the structure, interfaces and semantics for a standardized digital twin.当然，只有当参与系统使用同一种语言时，这种连接才能发挥作用。这就是为什么开放标准在 Eplan 战略中占据核心地位。Fleming 表示：“没有洁净、标准化的数据，人工智能就没有多大价值。”资产管理壳（Asset Administration Shell，简称 AAS）旨在使数据无论制造商是谁都能以结构化的方式传输。ECLASS Advanced 有助于为此提供重要的语义基础。工业数字孪生协会（IDTA）使用 AAS 来定义标准化数字孪生的结构、接口和语义。

This isn’t just about standardization for Eplan. The Data Portal currently contains more than 4 million static and configurable device specifications from more than 550 manufacturers. When such data is available in a standardized format, it can be used, reused and processed automatically not only in the schematics but also across additional process steps. Fleming: “Data can only become a true driver for productivity when it is unambiguous and can be reused without the need for translation or reformatting.” In his view, the cloud, AI and AAS are not separate technology trends but building blocks of the same end-to-end architecture.对 Eplan 而言，这不仅仅是标准化的问题。Data Portal 目前包含来自 550 多家制造商的超过 400 万个静态和可配置的设备规格数据。当此类数据以标准化格式提供时，不仅可以在原理图中使用，还可以在其他各个流程环节中被重复使用并自动处理。Fleming 表示：“只有当数据含义明确、无需转换或重新格式化即可重复使用时，它才能真正成为生产力的驱动因素。”在他看来，云、AI 和 AAS 并不是彼此独立的技术趋势，而是同一个端到端架构的组成部分。

Fleming openly admits that the Asset Administration Shell has been under discussion for years. In Germany in particular, he notes, there is a great deal of conceptualization and scientific analysis, yet pragmatic implementation into marketable solutions doesn’t always happen quickly enough. This time, though, he sees an opportunity to achieve the necessary critical mass: “Just committing to a standard won’t get us anywhere. The key question is whether or not we can create solutions that are easy for people to use.” Large industrial companies have to build real-world applications aside from just paying lip service to the AAS.Fleming 坦言，资产管理壳（Asset Administration Shell）多年来一直处于讨论之中。他指出，尤其是在德国，概念化和科学分析很多，但将其务实地落地为可市场化的解决方案，速度并不总是足够快。不过这一次，他认为有机会达到所需的临界规模：“仅仅承诺采用一个标准并不能让我们取得任何进展。关键问题在于，我们能否创造出便于人们使用的解决方案。”大型工业企业不能只是对 AAS 口头支持，还必须构建实际应用。

If a manufacturer changes a component, users will automatically be notified on a project-specific basis. Standardized Product Change Notifications allow for further automation of the change management process.

When the change finds the user
Product Change Notification, or PCN, demonstrates how concrete this can be. Describing the problem from the point of view of a component manufacturer, Fleming says: “A component is delivered to a control cabinet manufacturer, the control cabinet is installed into a machine and this is then delivered to the operator. In the end, as the component manufacturer, how do I reach the user of my component when I have no idea where it’s been installed?” From a data perspective, these dots can be connected through the AAS and Eplan Projects.
如果制造商更改某个部件，用户将按项目自动收到通知。标准化的产品变更通知（Product Change Notification）使变更管理流程得以进一步自动化。

当变更主动找到用户
产品变更通知（PCN）展示了这一点可以多么具体。Fleming 从部件制造商的角度描述了这个问题：“一个部件被交付给控制柜制造商，控制柜被安装到机器中，然后机器被交付给运营商。最终，作为部件制造商，当我不知道我的部件被安装在哪里时，我该如何联系到它的用户？”从数据的角度来看，可以通过 AAS 和 Eplan Projects 将这些点连接起来。

Eplan and Phoenix Contact have developed a use case for this based on the AAS. If a manufacturer changes a component, discontinues it or releases a safety-relevant update for it, the information can be transmitted in a structured way and processed in the Eplan Data Portal. The engineer receives a notification and can identify the projects or existing systems where the affected item is being used. Fleming: “These are exactly the applications where we see whether a standard creates real added value or not. The information shouldn’t just sit somewhere, unused. It must automatically get to the place where it triggers a decision. At the SPS trade show in November, Eplan and Phoenix Contact will be presenting the new PCN solution. We’re demonstrating that in Germany, we can take a really good idea and establish a pragmatic solution on the market.”Eplan 和 Phoenix Contact 基于 AAS 为此开发了一个用例。如果制造商更改某个部件、将其停产或发布与其安全相关的更新，该信息可以以结构化的方式传输，并在 Eplan Data Portal 中进行处理。工程师会收到通知，并可以确定受影响的部件正在被用于哪些项目或现有系统中。Fleming 表示：“正是通过这些应用，我们才能看出一个标准是否创造了真正的附加价值。信息不应该只是闲置在某个地方而无人使用，它必须自动到达能够触发决策的地方。在 11 月的 SPS 展会上，Eplan 和 Phoenix Contact 将展示全新的 PCN 解决方案。我们正在证明，在德国，我们可以把一个非常出色的想法转化为市场上务实的解决方案。”

This also changes Eplan’s role, which is increasingly shifting from being the supplier of an engineering platform to that of becoming a key player in a digital ecosystem that connects component manufacturers, machine and plant system builders, control cabinet manufacturers, distributors and operators. What matters most is not just which functions the software offers, but whether the data remains useable across different companies and processes.这也改变了 Eplan 的角色：它正日益从一家工程平台供应商，转变为一个数字生态系统中的关键参与者，该生态系统连接着部件制造商、机器和成套设备制造商、控制柜制造商、分销商和运营商。最重要的不仅仅是软件提供哪些功能，而是数据能否在不同企业和流程之间保持可用。

At the Connected Industry panel discussion, it was announced that Eplan is planning a solution that utilizes the Asset Administration Shell. It will be presented with Phoenix Contact at the SPS trade show in November.

Eplan Next27 as proof point
And this is where we come full circle back to Eplan Next. Back in May at the Eplan Next26, during the Connected Industry panel discussion, a commitment was made to develop concrete solutions using the Asset Administration Shell. The SPS trade show will mark the next milestone—Eplan and Phoenix Contact will fulfill that commitment when they present their first solution. The next Eplan Next has been announced for June 9 and 10, 2027 in Cologne. Fleming not only promises additional product innovations and an even larger presence, but, above all, visible progress on data-driven topics: “Eplan Next27 will be a proof point for us. Have we made significant strides with AAS and end-to-end processes—or will we be standing there, one year on, saying we really ought to?”
在“互联行业”（Connected Industry）专题讨论会上，Eplan 宣布正在规划一套采用资产管理壳（Asset Administration Shell，AAS）的解决方案。该方案将于 11 月在 SPS 展会上与 Phoenix Contact 共同发布。

Eplan Next27 作为有力证明
由此，我们又回到了 Eplan Next 这个话题。早在今年 5 月的 Eplan Next26 上，在“互联行业”专题讨论会期间，Eplan 就承诺将基于资产管理壳开发具体的解决方案。SPS 展会将成为下一个里程碑——届时 Eplan 与 Phoenix Contact 将展示双方的首个解决方案，兑现这一承诺。下一届 Eplan Next 已宣布将于 2027 年 6 月 9 日和 10 日在科隆举行。Fleming 不仅承诺将带来更多产品创新和更大规模的展示，更重要的是，将在数据驱动议题上展现看得见的进展：“Eplan Next27 将成为我们的一个有力证明。届时我们是在 AAS 和端到端流程方面取得了长足进步，还是一年之后仍站在台上说‘我们本来就应该做到’？”

Fleming sees two lines of development converging here. On the one hand, AI, automation and improved usability are intended to turn users into the “best-possible engineers.” On the other hand, standardized data and open interfaces aim to close the process chain across organizational boundaries. Autonomous engineering wouldn’t be the starting point of this, but rather the end result of a well-structured data and process architecture. Or, as Fleming puts it: “Only when the data is consistent across the board can we truly use artificial intelligence consistently.”Fleming 认为，有两条发展主线在此交汇。一方面，人工智能、自动化以及易用性的提升，旨在把用户打造成“尽可能优秀的工程师”。另一方面，标准化数据和开放接口则旨在跨越组织边界，打通整个流程链。自主工程（Autonomous Engineering）并非这一进程的起点，而是结构良好的数据与流程架构最终结出的果实。或者正如 Fleming 所说：“只有当数据全面保持一致时，我们才能真正始终如一地运用人工智能。”

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Author: Ronald Heinze/ Chief Editor Open Automation, Germany作者：Ronald Heinze / 德国《Open Automation》主编