The South Tyrolean company MiCROTEC S.p.A., the world’s leading provider of automated solutions for the wood-processing industry, develops tailor-made systems for wood scanning and optimization. With its proprietary sensor and camera technologies and a high level of customization, MiCROTEC does not manufacture off-the-shelf products, but rather bespoke solutions designed for each individual customer. This high degree of individuality is equally reflected in the company’s engineering requirements.
To efficiently manage this complexity, MiCROTEC has relied on AUCOTEC’s solutions for many years – starting with ELCAD, and now with Engineering Base.
From ELCAD to Engineering Base – A logical evolution
What began with the successful use of ELCAD has been consistently advanced through the transition to Engineering Base. “We had very positive experiences with ELCAD – and moving to Engineering Base was the right and logical next step for us,” says Michael Hochrainer, Team Leader Electrical Design at MiCROTEC. The early migration opened up new potential for automation, process integration, and data quality.
Tailor-Made Flexibility in Project Structures
MiCROTEC develops highly customized systems with numerous configuration variants. The company works with standardized project templates that enable individual circuit designs, modular components, and dynamically generated bills of materials for each customer project. Here, Engineering Base demonstrates its strength: its Microsoft Visio-based flexibility allows components to be freely configured, custom symbols and templates to be easily integrated, and projects to be perfectly aligned with MiCROTEC’s specific requirements.
“Engineering Base gives us exactly the freedom we need. No two projects are alike – yet with AUCOTEC’s collaborative platform, we can work efficiently and systematically,” explains Hochrainer. Beyond graphical flexibility, the platform ensures consistent data structures throughout. MiCROTEC’s engineering database has now grown to over 3.5 terabytes – clear evidence of the deep integration of Engineering Base within the company’s engineering environment.
Efficiency gains through integration and automation
Engineering Base enables bidirectional communication with MiCROTEC’s ERP system. For example, material lists can be transferred directly from the circuit diagram to the ERP system, while master data flows back from the ERP into Engineering Base. This deep level of integration saves time, minimizes sources of error, and improves data quality across all subsequent processes.
Tangible benefits for MiCROTEC include:
- Elimination of duplicate data entry
- Faster project execution
- Parallel work without media disruptions
- Significantly reduced error rates
- Automated generation of lists and PDFs
“In the past, we had to repeat many steps manually – now, much of it runs automatically. That not only saves time, but also drastically reduces errors,” says Hochrainer.
Looking Ahead: Engineering Base as a long-term partner
Today, MiCROTEC primarily uses Engineering Base for electrical design – from circuit diagrams and cable lists through to handover to purchasing. Virtual machines based on Engineering Base are also available to the company’s service department.
Looking to the future, MiCROTEC aims to further expand its use of the platform – with greater automation, enhanced customization, and a close eye on new developments such as AI-assisted features, integration of legacy data, and extended export options. Cyber security is also an increasingly important focus area – for both MiCROTEC and AUCOTEC.
Thinking ahead together
The long-standing partnership between MiCROTEC and AUCOTEC illustrates how advanced engineering technology can drive efficiency, quality, and growth even in highly specialized industries. With Engineering Base, MiCROTEC has established a system that meets its individual requirements while remaining future-proof. The shared goal is clear:
Continue to automate. Continue to integrate. And together with AUCOTEC, pave the way toward the next generation of engineering.