Mittelstandspresse
07.10.2026
Purdue University opens two technology labs from Rittal and Eplan
Skilled employee development in the United States
Herborn/Monheim, Germany/West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, 07.10.2026 (PresseBox) - Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, in the American heartland, celebrated the official opening of the new Eplan Electrical Engineering Technology Projects Lab and the Rittal Automation Systems Lab on September 15, 2026. The two laboratories are part of the strategic partnership between Purdue Polytechnic, Rittal, and Eplan to promote engineering, smart manufacturing, and hands-on training. Purdue students receive access to state-of-the-art engineering and automation technologies that the American market urgently needs.
The two new teaching labs in Dudley Hall are now part of Purdue University’s Engineering and Polytechnic Gateway Complex. The goal of the international partnership with Rittal and Eplan is to strengthen workforce development in the US and to prepare students for careers in smart manufacturing. Purdue is the most important academic research partner in the US in the Rittal and Eplan Partner Network. The five-year collaboration demonstrates Rittal and Eplan’s extensive commitment to enhancing education via software technologies, manufacturing technologies, and integrated workflows, all of which are increasingly being used across various industries.
“Industry ready on day one”
Finding well-trained specialists is incredibly important for industrial companies in the United States. This is where Purdue, Eplan, and Rittal come in, working to provide the job market with talented engineering graduates who have hands-on training in the future. The labs that Purdue Polytechnic Institute, Rittal, and Eplan developed bring industrial expertise and engineering technology into the learning environment, thereby creating a steady supply of qualified engineering employees right from the get-go.
“The Rittal and Eplan labs offer unique environments where students at Purdue University can gain practical experience with tools and processes that are critical for a wide range of technology-oriented industries,” says the Dean of Purdue Polytechnic Institute Daniel Castro. “Purdue Polytechnic has always focused on practical teaching and problem-solving skills to prepare the next generation of job-ready talent. By integrating Rittal and Eplan into our curriculum, our students gain insights into seamless processes from design to production.”
The goal—seamless workflows from engineering to manufacturing
The two labs are a central component of the Purdue School of Engineering Technology and offer up-and-coming engineers with the possibility to gain practical experience with state-of-the-art technologies in control cabinet engineering and switchgear system manufacturing. This includes knowledge of a wide range of integrated solutions from engineering using the Eplan Platform to manufacturing with Rittal system technology, including control cabinets and automation technology.
Automation always included
The Eplan Lab focuses on computer-supported engineering and electrical engineering designs. In the future, electrical engineering students will learn about the full range of the Eplan Platform as part of their studies. In the field of control cabinet engineering and switchgear system manufacturing, students will also receive training on how data can be automatically transferred from the engineering phase to manufacturing processes. The Rittal Lab offers students practice-oriented training with physical infrastructure—for instance, automated wiring using the Rittal Wire Terminal WT C. The curriculum is designed to provide knowledge about industrial control cabinets, power distribution systems, and additional automation hardware. Moreover, a Rittal Wire Handling System will be implemented in the future, which will allow pre-assembled wires to be sent directly to the appropriate wiring workstations using compressed air.
This integrated approach reflects what industrial companies need: to increase process efficiencies and scale their businesses. At the same time, students benefit from skills relevant to industry applicable across all important major American companies, including those in the automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing sectors.
“Industries are undergoing rapid changes and the next generation of engineers needs much more than just an understanding of individual technologies,” says Eplan CEO Sebastian Seitz. “They need to understand how engineering and manufacturing work together. That’s exactly why our partnership with Purdue University is so important. We give students the opportunity to learn in an environment that reflects the reality of modern industrial companies. Later this will help them to make innovative contributions to the companies they work for and take on leadership roles. We’re not just investing in two labs here. We’re investing in the engineers who will help shape the future of American manufacturing.”
As the most important academic research partner in the US within the Rittal and Eplan Partner Network, Purdue University’s collaboration with the two companies extends well beyond the two labs. The partnership also includes plans for scholarships, internships, and joint research and development initiatives.
Ansprechpartner
Hans-Robert Koch
+49 (2772) 5052693
Steffen Maltzan
+49 (2772) 5052680
Cornelia Müller
+49 (2772) 5052527
Birgit Hagelschuer
+49 (2173) 3964-180
+49 (2173) 3964-163
Über EPLAN GmbH & Co. KG:
Rittal is a leading global supplier of hardware, software and automation systems. Rittal product and service solutions for industrial, IT, energy, power and cooling applications are used in over 90 per cent of industry sectors worldwide. The company develops one of the world’s leading design software solutions for machine and panel builders. Eplan is also the ideal partner to streamline challenging engineering processes and supports customers with software and service solutions in the fields of electrical engineering, automation, and mechatronics. Rittal and Eplan are pioneers in advancing AI in software, providing powerful IT infrastructure. They are part of the owner-operated Friedhelm Loh Group, active worldwide with 13 production sites and 94 international subsidiaries. The Group has 12,900 employees and posted revenues of 3.2 billion euros in fiscal year 2025. In 2023, the Friedhelm Loh Group was presented with the “Best Place to Learn” and “Employer of the Future” awards. In 2026, Rittal was awarded the Top 100 Seal as one of Germany’s most innovative medium-sized companies for the fifth time in a row. In 2025, the Rittal plant in Haiger won overall first place in the independent and highly-prestigious “Factory of the Year” competition, which recognised it as a hallmark of manufacturing excellence and one of the very best factories in Europe.
For more information, visit www.rittal.com, www.eplan.com and www.friedhelm-loh-group.com.
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Purdue University, Rittal, and Eplan celebrated the opening of two new teaching laboratories in the United States on September 15.
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Combining the strengths of industry and academia—from left: Professor & Department Head School of Engineering Technology Dr. Rami Ghannam, Dean of Purdue Polytechnic Institute Dr. Daniel Castro, Rittal North America CEO Udayan Senapati, and Eplan CEO Sebastian Seitz.
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The Rittal Lab, which is also new, features a Rittal Wire Terminal WT C (among other machinery) that paves the way from engineering to manufacturing using automated wiring as an example.
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The newly opened Eplan Lab introduces students to engineering with Eplan directly as part of their education.
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Eplan CEO Sebastian Seitz: "Industries are undergoing rapid changes and the next generation of engineers needs much more than just an understanding of individual technologies. They need to understand how engineering and manufacturing work together."
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