"Prevent errors" check in upgrade!

EPLAN Electric P8 2.0 SP1 released in March 2011 has many new features such as extended reports and parts management, flexible terminal design, new check functions, PDF/A output and an individual revision management.

"Prevent errors" a new type of check, allows users to protect their project actively against incorrect entries, thus securing the quality of the machinery and plant documentation in the long term. In combination with the new "Protected device" function the software offers reliable and, at the same time, flexible protection of all the project data from preplanning through to the project completion.

The revision process can now be controlled for individual pages through the page filter as required by the respective project phase. At the same time certain types of pages, such as cover sheets, tables of contents and revision directories, can be excluded generally from completion. A clearer structure is provided in the process by using colours and symbol forms for different identifications. All project participants recognise at a glance whether project information has been added, modified or deleted.

New form functions with "conditional areas" open up exciting new options in the definition of project reports. EPLAN forms can now be formed dynamically so that different types of items can be reported in a common form. This form reacts to the corresponding item properties by using special partial tables for reporting, displaying suitable product graphics or special symbols and, for example, highlights safety-relevant items through a different colour. The resultant reports not only ensure that the required overview of the project data is available in the engineering phase, but also makes the decisive information available in a compressed but well structured form available for all the downstream project phases.

In maintenance and servicing the new PDF/A format guarantees long-term access to cross-discipline project documentation. In accordance with the ISO 19005-1 standard this format is a standard for the long-term archiving of electronic documents. In particular this reliable archiving also provides added value in light of the requirements of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC that requires a complete documentation for at least 10 years. At the same time PDF/A supports paperless workflow and thus simplifies the complexity of large projects.