Siemens adds ECAD and project generation to engineering AI

Key Takeaways

• Siemens has introduced two new capabilities for the Eigen Engineering Agent: ECAD integration and project generation.
• The Eigen Engineering Agent is designed for industrial automation engineering tasks, aiming to reduce manual work and improve efficiency.
• Over 100 companies in 19 countries are using the Eigen Engineering Agent, reporting execution speeds 2-5 times faster than manual workflows.
• The new capabilities enable the use of engineering context before software development begins, including hardware topology and machine structure.

Introduction to Industrial AI for Automation Engineering

The Eigen Engineering Agent, introduced by Siemens, is a cutting-edge tool designed to plan, execute, and validate industrial automation engineering tasks. This AI-powered agent goes beyond providing suggestions, as it can interpret project requirements, write control software, configure systems, and refine outputs against defined quality criteria. By automating these tasks, the Eigen Engineering Agent aims to reduce manual engineering work, allowing engineers to focus on higher-level system decisions.

Deployment and Engineering Use Cases

The Eigen Engineering Agent is part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio and works in conjunction with the TIA Portal engineering platform. With over 100 companies in 19 countries utilizing this technology, including ANDRITZ Metals in Austria, CASMT in China, and Prism Systems in the United States, the results are impressive. The agent is used for tasks such as programmable logic controller (PLC) programming, human-machine interface (HMI) visualization, and device configuration. Siemens reports that the Eigen Engineering Agent achieves execution speeds 2 to 5 times faster than manual workflows, resulting in up to 50% efficiency gains in engineering and an 80% improvement in overall solution quality.

Comparison of Manual Workflows vs. Eigen Engineering Agent

ECAD Integration for Design and Automation Workflows

The addition of ECAD integration and standards-compliant project generation enables the Eigen Engineering Agent to utilize more of the engineering context that exists before software development begins. This includes hardware topology, machine structure, and engineering intent. By reading electrical design files in formats such as XML and AML, the agent can identify inconsistencies, flag or resolve them, add devices to a TIA Portal project, configure connections, and generate PLC tags based on the hardware topology. This capability reduces manual translation work between electrical design and automation programming, streamlining the design and automation workflow.

Bottom Line

The introduction of ECAD integration and project generation to the Eigen Engineering Agent marks a significant advancement in industrial automation engineering. By automating tasks and reducing manual work, the Eigen Engineering Agent enables engineers to focus on higher-level system decisions, improving overall efficiency and solution quality. With its impressive track record and growing adoption, the Eigen Engineering Agent is poised to revolutionize the field of industrial automation engineering.