Electric Planning The Creation of the First AI-Generated Control Cabinet

Related Vendors

FAULHABER Drive Systems

Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

At SPS 2025, WS-CAD and its partners presented the world's first AI-generated control cabinet. This also marks the beginning of a new era in electrical planning - traditional processes are being smartly transformed and automated. The expertise of the electrical designer remains indispensable.

The construction of control cabinets is one of the most demanding disciplines in electrical design. Planning, layout, wiring, labeling, and documentation are closely interconnected. Additionally, the creation of manufacturing data for the production of wires and wire sets, mounting plates, and cabinet enclosures must be done. However, these steps are often handled separately in practice.With the use of artificial intelligence, it is now possible for the first time to systematically integrate these steps and generate a production-ready control cabinet setup based on existing digital circuit diagrams. The AI analyzes existing circuit plan data and uses it as a foundation to automate and link downstream planning steps.

How Does Control Cabinet Planning with AI Work?

The starting point of the AI-supported workflow is a digital circuit diagram. This diagram displays the logical structure of the system and contains all information about components, electrical connections, and functional relationships. The AI analyzes this data and establishes relationships between the pieces of information. It considers not only individual components but also the overall system.

Crucially, the circuit diagram remains the technical starting point at all times. The AI relies on the information contained within it regarding components, connections, and functions to derive the control cabinet setup. The added value lies in the structured transformation of existing engineering data into a consistent, production-ready control cabinet layout.

The added value lies in the structured transfer of existing engineering data into a consistent, production-ready control cabinet layout.

Alongside the layout generation, a digital twin of the control cabinet is created. This digital twin contains all relevant geometric, functional, and documentary information and serves as a data foundation throughout the entire lifecycle—from planning to manufacturing to maintenance.

Where Does the Electrical Designer Come into Play?

Even with a high level of automation, the electrical designer remains a central figure. The AI does not assume technical responsibility but supports the implementation of defined planning logics. The designer establishes the framework conditions within which the AI operates and reviews the generated results.Especially for project-specific requirements, custom solutions, or individual standards, human expertise remains indispensable. Normative specifications, operational guidelines, or individual preferences cannot be fully automated. The electrical designer reviews the proposals generated by the AI, makes targeted adjustments, and finally approves the planning. The decisions, rules, and standards are stored in the system, making them available for the AI in future projects. This way, experiential knowledge becomes reproducible, consistently applied, and usable independently of individuals.

The electrical designer reviews the proposals generated by the AI, makes targeted adjustments, and ultimately approves the planning.

How Is Knowledge Integrated and Preserved Thanks to AI?

The quality of AI-supported planning largely depends on the integration of corporate and customer-specific knowledge. Users have the opportunity to incorporate their own documents, such as requirements specifications, internal design guidelines, standard interpretations, or manufacturer approvals, into the AI copilot. This information is available to the AI across various projects and can be specifically queried, for example, regarding permissible technical specifications or the selection of approved components.

The AI's answers are based solely on these stored documents, ensuring that experiential knowledge is applied consistently and permanently embedded in the system while the electrical designer retains technical responsibility. This change also affects corporate collaboration: Knowledge becomes less tied to individuals, as planning logics are systematically documented. Nevertheless, the expertise of experienced designers remains a crucial factor for the quality and precision of the planning results.

Where Are the Major Advantages of AI in Electrical Planning?

• 1. Advantage – Speed
  Planning steps that previously occurred sequentially and manually can now be conducted in parallel and automated. This significantly reduces lead times in engineering. At the same time, the consistency of the planning increases. Since all information is derived from a common digital model, the likelihood of errors decreases. Inconsistencies between the circuit diagram, layout, wiring, and labeling can be systematically avoided.
• 2. Advantage – Continuous Data Availability for Subsequent Processes
  Material lists, terminal plans, wiring information, and labeling data are generated directly from the engineering model. This data can be handed over to manufacturing and documentation processes without manual transfer. This eliminates media breaks and reduces coordination efforts.
• 3. Advantage – Automatic Translation of Project Content
  Individual texts or complete documentation can be directly translated into any language within the system. This includes not only electrical engineering terminology but also project-specific designations. This significantly reduces the effort for multilingual documentation, especially for internationally deployed systems. Translations that previously required external service providers and significant coordination efforts can now be created, updated, and maintained consistently directly within the engineering workflow.
• 4. Advantage – AI Addresses Skilled Labor Shortages
  Less experienced users are supported by structured suggestions, while experienced designers can contribute their knowledge in a scalable way. Thus, the quality of planning becomes less dependent on individual resources.

Where Does AI Today Reach Its Limits?

• Despite the advantages, AI is not a replacement for engineering responsibility. The quality of the results significantly depends on the quality of the input data. Incomplete or inconsistent information directly impacts the planning outcome. Therefore, a clean data foundation is a prerequisite for successful implementation.
• Moreover, AI encounters limitations where project-specific decisions, exceptional cases, or normative interpretations are required. Standards allow for flexibility that necessitates expert evaluation. Such decisions cannot be fully automated.
• Additionally, AI operates probabilistically. It generates technically plausible and consistent proposals that always need to be verified. Without clear guidelines, defined standards, and responsible approvals, there is a risk of creating formally correct but practically suboptimal solutions. In practice, it becomes evident that AI offers the greatest benefits when it is embedded in a clearly structured planning process. It supports, accelerates, and structures but does not make independent decisions.

How Does the AI-Generated Control Cabinet Change the Future of Electrical Planning?

WSCAD presented the world's first AI-generated control cabinet at SPS 2025 in collaboration with partners. It marks a fundamental shift in electrical planning. Artificial intelligence makes it possible to integrate complex planning processes, utilize data consistently, and specifically relieve the electrical designer. At the same time, the technical responsibility remains clearly with the human operator. The true potential of AI-supported electrical planning lies in the combination of automated support and engineering expertise.

The true potential of AI-supported electrical planning lies in the combination of automated support and engineering expertise.