DMC’s Chicago headquarters hosted an Electrical Engineering Summit for the second time, bringing together DMC’s expanding group of electrical engineers. From Monday through Thursday, attendees participated in technical training, developed standard operating procedures (SOPs), explored new technologies and tools, and identified ways to strengthen collaboration across offices, projects, and even service areas.
The summit also gave engineers dedicated time to learn from one another, exchange ideas, and build stronger working relationships, which can be difficult to do when a team is spread out across the country. And, of course, the group made time to step away from the technical sessions and enjoy some fall weather in Chicago.
Electrical Engineering Summit Itinerary
The four-day summit balanced technical training with team-building activities. Sessions included an EPLAN walkthrough, a hands-on cobot wiring project, and Manufacturer Technical Representative (MTR) training focused on the new UL 508A standards. The schedule also left time for engineers to connect outside the office.
EPLAN Walkthrough and Cobot Wiring Mini-Project
Technical training kicked off on the second day after everyone successfully made it to Chicago. Engineers Esther Warren and Brandon Griffis led a comprehensive walkthrough of EPLAN, an electrical engineering design platform. After the presentation, the team broke into smaller groups to explore the software’s features and compare and contrast the workflow with AutoCAD.
Oscar Huicochea, DMC’s Electrical Engineering Manager, explained the importance of the tool, “EPLAN was developed specifically for electrical design, schematics, and layouts. It’s a much more sophisticated tool than AutoCAD for electrical design.”
Next, the electrical engineering team headed to DMC’s Manufacturing Center for a half-day project with the Test & Measurement team: wiring simulated I/O for the remote control of a cobot.
The exercise divided the work across disciplines. Team members laser-etched a holder and labels for switches, gathered wiring and tools, wired components, managed the project, and documented the design for future schematics. As Oscar put it, “Everyone got a piece of the pie.”
The project gave each engineer a hands-on role while demonstrating how electrical design, fabrication, documentation, and project management come together on a collaborative engineering project spanning multiple DMC teams.
Standardizing Tools, Procedures, and Training
Day two focused on making the electrical engineering team’s knowledge and resources easier to share. Engineers developed standard operating procedures (SOPs), centralized commonly used tools, and expanded onboarding materials for new team members.
Because each engineer may approach electrical design in a different way, the team worked to document available tools and when to use them. Many of these resources had previously been stored on individual laptops. The new shared approach makes them easier for members of the electrical engineering team to find, evaluate, and reuse.
“When we’re designing, we can go in a lot of different directions,” Oscar explained. The goal is to create “a space where we can go to pick and choose which tool to use.”
The team also documented procedures for completing UL 508A certification. Paired with dedicated training during the summit, the new simplified UL 508A document provides engineers with a clearer path through the certification process, helping them build a better understanding of UL 508A requirements.
Finally, the group expanded DMC’s electrical engineering onboarding curriculum. Previously, new engineers completed two introductory classes covering fundamentals such as schematics, components, and electrical panels. During the summit, the team reviewed and finalized additional classes to create a more comprehensive onboarding experience.
By documenting shared practices and training resources, the team is building a more consistent foundation for engineers to learn from one another and contribute to projects across DMC.
MTR Training Session
The final day of the summit focused on Manufacturer Technical Representative (MTR) training and the latest UL 508A requirements. An instructor guided the electrical engineering team through the standards before engineers completed the associated exam.
UL 508A establishes requirements for the construction of industrial control panels, making it an important consideration throughout the electrical design and fabrication process. For electrical engineers, understanding these requirements helps inform decisions around component selection, panel layouts, schematics, and other design details so that compliance is considered from the beginning rather than only during fabrication. DMC’s control panel design services incorporate UL 508A compliance, while the Manufacturing Center is a UL 508A-certified panel shop.
Bringing MTR training into the summit gave the team an opportunity to strengthen that shared knowledge at once, helping engineers apply consistent practices across projects and supporting a smoother handoff from electrical design to panel fabrication.
“It worked out very well to hold the MTR training during the electrical engineering summit because we were able to knock it out with everyone there in Chicago,” Oscar added.
The After-Work Activities
The summit wasn’t all schematics, standards, and technical training, however. With engineers traveling to Chicago from offices across the country, the week also gave the team a chance to spend time together outside of work.
After-work activities included a sunset Chicago Architecture Boat Tour followed by dinner at Lou Malnati’s, mini golf at The Puttery in the West Loop, where engineer Zach Higgs took the win, and an evening of basketball when the Chicago weather changed their plans.
For recent electrical engineering hire Bryne Chi, the boat tour was a highlight.
“My favorite activity was definitely the boat tour,” Bryne said. “As we were finishing the tour in the evening, it was just starting to get dark, and the city lit up, so the view was really beautiful from the water.”
More importantly, the summit gave Bryne an opportunity to connect with colleagues he hadn’t worked with closely before. “I hadn’t had many conversations with a lot of people on the team because we’re scattered around, so the summit was such a great opportunity to get to know them.”
For newer engineers, in-person events like the EE Summit offer the best of both worlds: building technical skills while developing relationships with colleagues across DMC.
Building Connections and Electrical Engineering Expertise
Over four days, DMC’s electrical engineers transformed time together into resources and experiences they can carry into future projects. From exploring EPLAN and wiring a cobot to developing SOPs, expanding onboarding resources, and completing UL 508A training, the summit combined hands-on learning with opportunities to share expertise across offices and disciplines.
That collaboration becomes increasingly valuable as DMC’s electrical engineering capabilities expand. By establishing shared tools, processes, and technical knowledge, engineers can work more consistently across projects while drawing on their colleagues’ experiences.
The summit also reinforced something that even those most well-written SOP can’t achieve: stronger working relationships. Bringing engineers together in Chicago gave them the chance to learn from one another, solve problems side by side, and build connections that continue long after everyone returns to their home offices.
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From electrical design and panel fabrication to controls integration and testing, DMC’s electrical engineers play a critical role in industrial automation.