Schematic design and 3D panel layout used to live in separate files. EPLAN Electric P8 and EPLAN Pro Panel pull them into one structured digital workflow, which means consultants, contractors and project managers see the same information at the same time.
Quick answer
EPLAN Pro Panel is a 3D digital panel layout platform that works alongside EPLAN Electric P8 (electrical schematics). CWS uses both as part of our standard design workflow. The combination gives consultants and contractors aligned schematics, layouts, BOMs and documentation, with cleaner revision handling and fewer late-stage clashes.
In this article
This guide explains what EPLAN Pro Panel is, how it fits alongside EPLAN Electric P8, and why we use both for switchboard design and documentation at Clive Wilson Switchboards.
Switchboard projects move between consultants, contractors, manufacturers and project managers. The same data, the single-line diagram, the loading schedule, the GA drawings, the BOM, the cable schedule, has to stay in sync across that handover chain.
When schematic CAD and 3D panel layout live in separate files, alignment is manual. A change in the schematic does not automatically update the layout. A part swap in the BOM does not propagate to the cable schedule. Every revision becomes a coordination exercise.
A structured digital workflow connects those datasets so an update in one cascades to the others. That removes a class of late-stage friction and gives the project a more reliable engineering foundation.
EPLAN positions Pro Panel as a platform for 3D digital layout for control panels and switchgear, built on structured engineering data rather than disconnected drafting files.
In practical terms it adds:
EPLAN’s own published customer examples cite outcomes like 8x faster 3D panel layout creation and significant productivity gains. Those are EPLAN’s vendor stats, not ours, but they line up with the workflow improvements we have seen on our own projects.
Issue a single-line diagram and a loading schedule, get back GA drawings, panel layouts and BOMs that are demonstrably linked to the schematic. Reduces the back-and-forth on minor revisions.
3D layout makes cable termination and pre-fit work easier on site. The dimensions in the drawing match the dimensions of the assembly. Gland plate cut-outs land where the contractor expects.
Cleaner revision handling reduces the number of late-stage scope changes that trigger workshop rework. A revision logged in the schematic flows to the layout and the BOM in the same operation.
Documentation quality is part of product quality. A switchboard that ships with clean, current, complete documentation is easier to install, easier to maintain, and easier to retrofit when the time comes. A switchboard that ships with stale drawings creates problems that compound over the 20 to 40 year service life of the assembly.
EPLAN Pro Panel pushes documentation forward in three ways:
A revision logged in the schematic should propagate to the layout, the BOM and the cable schedule automatically. When it does not, every revision becomes a coordination exercise. When it does, the project moves faster.
At Clive Wilson Switchboards we use EPLAN Electric P8 for electrical schematics and EPLAN Pro Panel for 3D panel layout and workshop preparation. Both feed the same project data model.
For consultants and contractors that means:
It is one of the reasons we can compress lead times on complex assemblies without sacrificing documentation quality.
No. EPLAN Electric P8 handles electrical schematics, single-line diagrams and circuit documentation. EPLAN Pro Panel handles 3D panel layout, mounting plans and workshop preparation data. They are complementary platforms in the same EPLAN ecosystem.
Yes. Electric P8 for schematics and single-line diagrams, Pro Panel for 3D panel layout, drilling plans and thermal analysis. Both are part of our standard design workflow.
Yes. EPLAN supports export to DWG, DXF, PDF and step formats. Consultant teams can receive deliverables in the format their wider design package expects.
On standard projects, no difference. On complex multi-section MSBs or MCCs with detailed thermal requirements, the structured workflow tends to shorten quote and design turnaround because the BOM and panel layout come out of the same data model as the schematic.
Yes. EPLAN Pro Panel includes thermal calculations that model heat dissipation and cabinet airflow in 3D. We use this on dense MCC sections, large drive cabinets and any board with high power density to validate cooling before fabrication.
Reviewed by Chris Wilson, Co-Director, Clive Wilson Switchboards. Registered electrician, 15+ years in LV switchboards. Updated May 2026.
