How mechanical and electrical engineering finally come together in ECAD/MCAD integration

Introduction: Why integration is essential

Modern industry is faster, more complex and more global than ever before. Products have more variants, development cycles are getting shorter, supply chains are internationally networked - and yet customers still expect the highest quality. If you want to keep up, you need digital consistency. Without clean data flows from engineering to service, errors, delays and unnecessary costs arise.

This is exactly where ECAD/MCAD integration comes in. It combines mechanical design (MCAD) with electrical engineering (ECAD) - two worlds that have long existed side by side. The result: mechatronic parts lists, consistent data and the basis for a resilient digital twin.

With ECAD Collaboration and Siemens Teamcenter, companies have powerful tools at their disposal to build this bridge.

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Challenges without integration

Silos in engineering

In many companies, mechanical and electrical engineering still work in separate worlds. MCAD engineers define assemblies, while ECAD designers model circuit diagrams. Both sides create their own parts lists, maintain articles twice and laboriously coordinate via email or Excel.

The consequences:

• Contradictory parts lists cause chaos in purchasing.
• Media discontinuities increase the error rate.
• Changes reach the other department too late.
• Production and service run the risk of working with incorrect data.

Lack of digital consistency

If data is stored in separate systems, there is no continuous information chain. This makes it impossible to create a digital twin that provides reliable information throughout the entire life cycle.

Single Source of Truth

Without integration, there is no single source of truth. Instead, departments work with different revision levels. This increases the coordination effort, reduces data quality and leads to delays. In addition, there is often no clear single point of truth - the unambiguous reference within a project that applies to everyone.

Solution: Siemens Teamcenter & ECAD Collaboration as a game changer

The combination of ECAD Collaboration and Siemens Teamcenter puts an end to these problems. EPLAN® remains the leading authoring system for electrical engineering, while Teamcenter functions as the central PLM system.

Central advantages

• Digital consistency across the entire product life cycle.
• Establishment of a reliable digital twin.
• Creation and maintenance of mechatronic parts lists.
• Single source of truth through consolidated data storage.
• Clear single point of truth for every project.
• Reduction of manual tasks and fewer media disruptions.
• Higher data quality and faster decisions.

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Technical implementation in detail

Project management & synchronization

With ECAD Collaboration, EPLAN projects are saved directly in Siemens Teamcenter. Project metadata (name, status, reason for change) is automatically transferred. Thanks to revision-proof storage, all versions are traceable.

Parts list integration

The biggest lever: ECAD and MCAD data flow together to form mechatronic parts lists. These contain mechanical components, electrical devices and logical links. Purchasing has a consolidated basis, production has a reliable working basis and service has a complete image.

Article & device management

Items from EPLAN® are synchronized directly with Siemens Teamcenter. Uniform IDs ensure that the same information is used everywhere. Changes automatically take effect in all projects - a clear advantage in change management.

Document management

When saving, ECAD Collaboration automatically creates PDFs or DXFs. These are stored in the PLM system and are also available without an ECAD license. This increases transparency and reduces queries.

Cross-project functions

With Siemens Teamcenter, data can be searched across projects. Components can be reused and dependencies recognized. This saves time and improves quality.

Strategic benefits for companies

For decision makers

• Digital consistency as the basis for transparency and control.
• Mechatronic parts lists as a basis for investment decisions.
• Digital Twin for better service and after-sales.
• Single source of truth reduces risks.
• Single point of truth ensures clear responsibilities.

For engineering teams

• Automated processes through ECAD Collaboration.
• Improved cooperation between mechanical and electrical engineering.
• Faster reactions to changes thanks to a central PLM system.
• More reuse through consistent data.

BOM quality as an efficiency driver

The quality of mechatronic parts lists is crucial. Purchasing, production and service can only work efficiently with consolidated and audit-proof parts lists.

• Precise requirements planning in purchasing.
• Minimization of incorrect deliveries.
• Automated processes in production.
• More transparency in service.

Without consistent parts lists, the digital twin remains an empty shell. Only the combination of ECAD and MCAD data in the PLM system provides real added value.

Best practices for the introduction

1. Early involvement of all stakeholders.
2. pilot project before the major rollout.
3. Configure ECAD Collaboration to make optimum use of interfaces.
4. Change management so that users understand the benefits of digital consistency, mechatronic parts lists and the single source of truth.
5. Long-term perspective: The goal is always a comprehensive digital twin.

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Market trends & future prospects

• In future, digital consistency will be a basic requirement, not a bonus.
• ECAD Collaboration is cloud-enabled.
• Mechatronic parts lists are developing into a control instrument in production.
• Single source of truth and single point of truth are mandatory for AI-supported evaluations.
• The Digital Twin becomes standard in service and maintenance.

Practical example: Mechanical engineering company successfully integrates

A medium-sized mechanical engineering company was struggling with unclear parts lists and media disruptions. After the introduction of ECAD Collaboration and Siemens Teamcenter, the results improved significantly:

• 30 % less coordination effort between departments.
• 20 % fewer errors in production.
• Purchasing was able to trigger orders earlier thanks to consolidated mechatronic parts lists.
• Service benefited from a reliable digital twin.
• Single Source of Truth and Single Point of Truth made discussions about "the right version" superfluous.

Compliance, sustainability & data quality

Legal requirements, sustainability and verification obligations present companies with new challenges.

• Siemens Teamcenter ensures transparency in all processes.
• ECAD Collaboration documents every change.
• Mechatronic parts lists ensure traceability of material usage.
• Single Source of Truth & Single Point of Truth make audits easier.
• Digital Twin helps with sustainable use and maintenance.
• PLM systems ensure data quality and provide information for the long term.

Conclusion: Why act now?

ECAD/MCAD integration is no longer a nice-to-have. It is the basis for digital consistency, a functioning digital twin, clean mechatronic parts lists and a reliable PLM system.

👉 Companies that use ECAD Collaboration and Siemens Teamcenter are creating the basis for efficiency, quality and future viability today.

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