As soon as they entered the production hall, it was clear that the digitalized factory is not a vision, but a reality.

Around 9,000 compact switch cabinets roll off the production line here every day – in an almost completely digitally integrated process. Every step, from configuration to packaging, is digitally mapped. The production processes are mapped as digital twins, with real-time data and AI-supported testing methods ensuring that everything meshes seamlessly.

Impressively, planning accuracy is 99.9 percent, and customers in Europe receive their products within just 24 hours. These are figures that are hard to beat in the industry.

Dennis Benfer, Head of Digital Processes & Production Planning, gave us exciting insights into everyday life at the factory:

“Our factory shows what is possible when digitalization is consistently thought out and implemented. It's not just about efficiency—it's above all about transparency, quality, and availability for our customers.”

Many of the systems that make the plant so unique today were developed in-house by the team in Haiger. The plant thus serves as a pioneer for the entire group of companies.

“We built this plant from scratch,” says Benfer, “but much of what we learned during its construction—and what we continue to develop on a daily basis—is now being transferred to our eleven other factories worldwide.”

When asked whether there is still room for optimization in such a state-of-the-art factory, Benfer smiles:

“Of course! We are now learning from the wealth of data we have collected over the past few years where we can still make adjustments. That's what makes my job so exciting: we are already at the very top of our game – but there is always room for improvement.”

During our visit, we noticed that we weren't the only guests. Several groups of visitors were touring the factory at the same time.

“That's completely normal here,” explains Benfer. “It's not just customers who want to see what we're capable of – manufacturing companies from other industries also come to us to learn how they can digitize their own processes.”

No wonder, then, that the plant in Haiger has long since become a magnet for visitors—as has the Eplan and Rittal booth at the Hannover Messe. There, the companies demonstrate how end-to-end digitalization can be achieved by linking AI, hardware, software, and automation systems.