Rittal and Eplan Bring Connected Engineering and Automation to Life at ChicagoPop-Up Showcase
The Better Together Experience will demonstrate how integrated engineering, infrastructure and automation can help manufacturers move from design to production faster and scale with greater consistency.
As manufacturers face growing pressure to bring equipment online faster, increase productivity and scale without adding complexity, Rittal and Eplan are bringing the engineering and production lifecycle together in a live technology showcase in Chicago.
On Monday, October 19, Rittal and Eplan will host The Better Together Experience: Design. Implement. Grow., an interactive pop-up showcase at Revel Motor Row, located less than half a mile from McCormick Place. The event coincides with PACK EXPO International week, giving manufacturers, OEMs, machine builders, panel builders and engineering professionals gathering in Chicago an opportunity to see how connected engineering, software, infrastructure and automation work together in real industrial applications.
Rather than focusing on individual products, the showcase will demonstrate a connected approach to the industrial lifecycle, beginning with digital engineering and design data and extending through panel building, power distribution, enclosure systems, climate control, machine integration and industrial edge infrastructure.
Key Quote
“The U.S. manufacturing renaissance is creating new opportunities for growth, but manufacturers face labor constraints and a growing need for automation to improve efficiency and bring products to market faster,” said Udayan Senapati, CEO, Rittal North America. “The Better Together Experience will showcase how Rittal and Eplan connect engineering, panel building, power distribution and automation through integrated software, hardware and automation systems. Our theme, ‘Design. Implement. Grow.’ reflects what we want customers to see: how decisions made during engineering carry forward into implementation, helping them build more efficiently, repeat successful designs and scale.”
From Digital Design to the Factory Floor
At the center of the showcase is the connected engineering and automation lifecycle, which demonstrates how standardized engineering data and digital models can create continuity between design and physical implementation.
Eplan demonstrations will show how data-driven electrical engineering, 3D panel design and digital twins can help manufacturers and machine builders standardize designs, automate repetitive engineering work and improve the accuracy of information passed downstream. The showcase will then connect that digital foundation with Rittal enclosure, power distribution, thermal management and infrastructure technologies to demonstrate how engineering decisions translate into real-world industrial systems.
Visitors will be able to explore applications including digital engineering and digital twins, hygienic and washdown enclosure solutions, high-density VFD control panels, modular power distribution, low-voltage switchgear, cabinet thermal management, industrial edgecomputing and machine-level control and power distribution.
For packaging and processing manufacturers in particular, the technologies addresschallenges that extend across modern production environments, from protecting controls insanitary and washdown applications to managing machine power, maintaining thermalperformance, connecting engineering data with physical systems and creating repeatable
machine and panel designs.
Real Applications Featuring Rittal and Eplan
The Better Together Experience will also feature applications developed with Rittal and Eplan customers and technology partners, giving attendees an opportunity to see how integrated engineering and infrastructure are being applied outside of a traditional tradeshow demonstration.
Partner showcases planned for the event include applications from Indicon, RAN Technology, Sun Coast, E Tech Group and ADS alongside Rittal and Eplan technology demonstrations. The applications span operator interfaces, machine power distribution, process control, motor control and other industrial use cases.
One demonstration will feature Rittal’s RiLineX modular busbar power distribution platform, designed to replace conventional point-to-point wiring with a touch-safe, modular system.
The event guide positions the technology around faster assembly, simplified modification and compatibility with components from other manufacturers. Throughout the event, attendees will have direct access to Rittal and Eplan product specialists, application engineers and industry experts for hands-on demonstrations and one-on-one discussions about their own engineering and manufacturing challenges.
About the Event: The Better Together Experience
The event will take place Monday, October 19, from 1:00–8:00 p.m. at Revel Motor Row, 2400 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, less than half a mile from McCormick Place. Attendees can visit at any point during the afternoon and evening for technology demonstrations, conversations with engineering experts, networking, food and refreshments.
- Event: The Better Together Experience — Design. Implement. Grow.
- Date: Monday, October 19, 2026
- Time: 1:00–8:00 p.m.
- Location: Revel Motor Row, 2400 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60616
- Registration: The Better Together Experience | Rittal & Eplan
