HERBORN and MONHEIM, Germany, Jul 9, 2026 – TOBOL is a new Rittal and Eplan Application Center Partner. The system integrator for data centres and buildings represents a benchmark for digitalisation and automation in panel building and switchgear manufacturing. Software, hardware, and automation solutions from Eplan, Rittal, and Rittal Automation Systems are employed to the fullest extent at TOBOL’s state-of-the-art manufacturing centre in Leinefelde. The partnership’s goal is to optimally integrate the respective core competencies from industry and IT for the dynamic data centre market. TOBOL demonstrates how the complex process of data centre construction can be effectively optimised and automated in practice.
New Rittal and Eplan Application Center Partnership
TOBOL’s customers include high-profile data centre operators and companies with critical infrastructure across Germany and Europe. With more than 25 years’ experience in instrumentation and control technology, the system integrator ensures that everything in data centres and buildings is automatically controlled, regulated and cooled. Power consumption is also monitored. The range of services extends from planning, manufacturing, and programming through to the construction, commissioning, maintenance, and support of a system, and beyond the system’s lifecycle. To manufacture customised systems as one-off units on an industrial scale and competitively, all value-added processes at our factory in Leinefelde are consistently and comprehensively digitised and automated as much as possible with software, hardware, and automation solutions from Eplan, Rittal, and Rittal Automation Systems.
A partnership for greater speed and customer benefits
“With Eplan and Rittal, we have the industry leaders in electrical engineering and enclosure technology on our side. As an Application Centre Partner, we can now interact even more closely and collaboratively, and work together to rapidly develop the finest products for our national and international clients”, says Tobias Funke, Managing Director and co-owner of TOBOL.
“Industrialisation and standardisation are very important in the extremely scalable data centre environment. At TOBOL, we have an innovative partner who seamlessly applies its expertise from traditional industrial automation to the IT sector, particularly the data centre business. Together, we show that considerable cost savings can be achieved in the key areas of power and cooling during manufacturing, commissioning and operation,” adds Uwe Scharf, Managing Director of Sales Germany and Europe at Rittal.
“The data centre market is highly dynamic, with constantly increasing and changing demands. These days, suitable solutions can only be developed through partnerships. Whether it’s in instrumentation and control technology, power distribution, cooling or DC power in data centres – ultimately, our customers benefit from customised solutions and from getting precisely what they need, when they need it,” says Philipp Müller, IT Sales Manager at Rittal.
“With TOBOL as a Rittal and Eplan Application Centre Partner, we can offer customers an on-site overview of highly digitalised value-added processes in switchgear construction. Here we show how data consistency works in practice, from engineering to manufacturing, and how TOBOL is taking full advantage of this potential,” says Georg Schmidt-Reindahl, Eplan’s Head of Sales Germany North.
Highly digitised value-added processes
At TOBOL’s Leinefelde plant, each project’s digital twin serves as the starting point for all value-added processes. Software solutions, including Eplan Preplanning, Eplan P8, and Eplan Pro Panel, are used to directly derive manufacturing data for machine enclosures. The system controls automation solutions from Rittal Automation Systems, including the Perforex BC drilling and milling centre, the Perforex LC laser centre, and the Secarex cutting centre. The WT C Wire Terminal, for fully automatic wire assembly, rounds off the machinery range. TOBOL has used Rittal enclosure systems, such as the VX25, AX, and CS Toptec, for many years to build its systems.
Close to practical application
Decisions on automation solutions are not made in a showroom. Solutions have to prove their usefulness in practice. At the Rittal and Eplan Application Centers, panel builders and switchgear manufacturers can discover first-hand, on-site, how they can promote digitalisation and automation even more. In a real-world workshop environment, they can experience the efficiency of software and automation technologies before deciding to invest.
About Rittal
Rittal is a leading global supplier of enclosure systems, automation and infrastructure with its industrial, IT, energy and power, cooling and service units. Rittal products and solutions are used in over 90% of global industries – standardised, customised, and always of the very best quality.
Our approach and methodology: Rittal, Rittal Software Systems (Eplan, Cideon) and Rittal Automation Systems (RAS, Ehrt, Alfra) combine their hardware and software expertise to streamline, optimise and industiralise processes across the entire value chain of their customers including their IT infrastructure – from control and switchgear construction, machine building to manufacturing companies or the energy sector.
Our delivery promise: Rittal standard products are delivered in Germany within 24 hours, and within 48 hours throughout Europe.
About Eplan
Eplan provides software and service solutions in the fields of electrical, automation and mechatronic engineering. 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.
Both standardised as well as customised interfaces to ERP and PLM/PDM systems ensure data consistency along the whole value chain. Working with Eplan means boundless communication across all engineering disciplines. No matter whether small or large enterprises: Customers can apply their expertise more efficiently. Worldwide, Eplan supports 73,100 customers. Eplan wants to grow further with customers and partners and pushes integration and automation in engineering forward. Within the Eplan Partner Network, open interfaces and seamless integrations are realised together with partners. “Efficient engineering” is the focus.
Eplan was founded in 1984 and is part of the owner-operated Friedhelm Loh Group. The group operates worldwide, with 13 production sites and 95 international subsidiaries. It has 12,600 employees and posted revenues of 3.1 billion euros in fiscal 2024. In 2023, the Friedhelm Loh Group was presented with the “Best Place to Learn” and “Employer of the Future” awards. For more information, visit www.eplan.com and www.friedhelm-loh-group.com.
