ALX-Development was founded in 1998 under the motto “Algorithm and Logics eXchange”. At that time, source code was still managed using CVS, and collaborative development platforms were far from common. From the very beginning, our work has focused on electrical engineering, industrial automation, and control panel manufacturing.
Since then, we have continuously published research results and technical papers in these fields. Advancing practical engineering solutions through research and development remains a core part of our work today.
Electrical CAD (ECAD) systems are powerful expert tools that support engineers in creating electrical schematics and the documentation required for control panel manufacturing. At first glance, this might suggest that digital engineering has solved the industry’s challenges.
In reality, however, a significant gap still exists whenever engineering and manufacturing are performed by different companies. Data exchange across company boundaries often introduces media breaks, duplicated work, and unnecessary costs. Even today, it is estimated that around 75–85% of all documentation for control panel manufacturing is still exchanged as PDF documents between engineering companies and panel builders.
In many cases, the control panel manufacturer is left to deal with these challenges alone. While software vendors often promote the vision of a seamless digital engineering process, they frequently overlook the fact that collaboration extends beyond organizational boundaries. The effort required to prepare and process engineering data is often borne by different companies than those benefiting from it.
At ALX-Development, we follow the principle “From control panel manufacturers for control panel manufacturers.” Our goal is to develop practical solutions together with our customers—solutions that address today’s challenges instead of promising distant future visions.
Our primary focus is not on replacing ECAD systems themselves. Instead, we concentrate on the processes surrounding them. This includes areas such as master data management through the openCAD Translator and the efficient use of engineering data in downstream processes with the CATweasel Toolkit.
Do you see opportunities to improve your engineering workflow? Are there repetitive tasks, disconnected processes, or integration challenges within your ECAD environment? We believe that many of these problems can be solved through better data integration and practical automation. Our community forum provides a platform to exchange ideas with other users, discuss common challenges, and contribute suggestions for new projects or future enhancements.
If you have any questions about our projects or would like to discuss your own requirements, we are always happy to help. Feel free to contact us at info@alx-development.de.