Rittal and Eplan bring connected engineering and automation to life at Chicago pop-up showcase. The Better Together Experience will demonstrate how integrated engineering, infrastructure and automation can help manufacturers move from design to production faster and scale with greater consistency Chicago, IL October 19, 2026 - As manufacturers face growing pressure to bring equipment online faster, increase productivity and scale without adding complexity, Rittal and Eplan are bringing the engineering and production lifecycle together in a live technology showcase in Chicago. On Monday, October 19, Rittal and Eplan will host The Better Together Experience: Design. Implement. Grow., an interactive pop-up showcase at Revel Motor Row, located less than half a mile from McCormick Place. The event coincides with PACK EXPO International week, giving manufacturers, OEMs, machine builders, panel builders and engineering professionals gathering in Chicago an opportunity to see how connected engineering, software, infrastructure and automation work together in real industrial applications. Rather than focusing on individual products, the showcase will demonstrate a connected approach to the industrial lifecycle, beginning with digital engineering and design data and extending through panel building, power distribution, enclosure systems, climate control, machine integration and industrial edge infrastructure. From digital design to the factory floor. At the center of the showcase is the connected engineering and automation lifecycle, which demonstrates how standardized engineering data and digital models can create continuity between design and physical implementation. Eplan demonstrations will show how data-driven electrical engineering, 3D panel design and digital twins can help manufacturers and machine builders standardize designs, automate repetitive engineering work and improve the accuracy of information passed downstream. The showcase will then connect that digital foundation with Rittal enclosure, power distribution, thermal management and infrastructure technologies to demonstrate how engineering decisions translate into real-world industrial systems. Visitors will be able to explore applications including digital engineering and digital twins, hygienic and washdown enclosure solutions, high-density VFD control panels, modular power distribution, low-voltage switchgear, cabinet thermal management, industrial edge computing and machine-level control and power distribution. For packaging and processing manufacturers in particular, the technologies address challenges that extend across modern production environments, from protecting controls in sanitary and washdown applications to managing machine power, maintaining thermal performance, connecting engineering data with physical systems and creating repeatable machine and panel designs. Real applications featuring Rittal and Eplan. The Better Together Experience will also feature applications developed with Rittal and Eplan customers and technology partners, giving attendees an opportunity to see how integrated engineering and infrastructure are being applied outside of a traditional tradeshow demonstration. Partner showcases planned for the event include applications from Indicon, RAN Technology, Sun Coast, E Tech Group and ADS alongside Rittal and Eplan technology demonstrations. The applications span operator interfaces, machine power distribution, process control, motor control and other industrial use cases. One demonstration will feature Rittal's RiLineX modular busbar power distribution platform, designed to replace conventional point-to-point wiring with a touch-safe, modular system. The event guide positions the technology around faster assembly, simplified modification and compatibility with components from other manufacturers. Throughout the event, attendees will have direct access to Rittal and Eplan product specialists, application engineers and industry experts for hands-on demonstrations and one-on-one discussions about their own engineering and manufacturing challenges. About the event. The Better Together Experience The event will take place Monday, October 19, from 1:00-8:00 p.m. at Revel Motor Row, 2400 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, less than half a mile from McCormick Place. Attendees can visit at any point during the afternoon and evening for technology demonstrations, conversations with engineering experts, networking, food and refreshments. Event: The Better Together Experience - Design. Implement. Grow. Date: Monday, October 19, 2026 Time: 1:00-8:00 p.m. Location: Revel Motor Row, 2400 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60616 Registration: The Better Together Experience | Rittal & Eplan About Rittal LLC Founded in 1982, Rittal LLC is the fully owned US subsidiary of Rittal GmbH & Co. KG, and is headquartered in Schaumburg, IL. With a main production facility in Urbana, OH, a dedicated Modification Center in Houston, TX, and logistic hubs in Urbana, OH; Springfield, OH; Houston, TX; Sparks, NV; and Atlanta, GA, Rittal LLC is fully committed to providing the United States with quality enclosure solutions. Founded in 1961 in Germany, Rittal is a global manufacturer of industrial and IT enclosures, racks, and accessories, including cooling solutions and power management systems for industrial, data center, outdoor, and hybrid applications. As the largest enclosure manufacturer in the world, Rittal provides quality solutions for practically any industrial or IT infrastructure application. Rittal is part of the owner-operated Friedhelm Loh Group along with Eplan. About Eplan Eplan is a global leader in software and service solutions for electrical, automation, and mechatronic engineering. Specializing in cutting-edge design software for machine and panel builders, Eplan supports 68,000 customers worldwide via standardized and customized interfaces to ERP and PLM/PDM systems. As part of the Friedhelm Loh Group along with Rittal, Eplan is dedicated to pushing efficiency, integration, and automation in engineering-forward. Learn more at eplanusa.com.

Investing in the digital future of the region. - September 17, 2026 - ...and also The Rittal Foundation is supporting the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM) with a donation of more than €150,000 for the construction of a new server room. This largest single donation in the history of the Rittal Foundation will enable innovative equipment to meet the increased demand for computing capacity at the university. In recent months, THM has expanded its IT infrastructure at the Laboratory and Technology Center on the Gutfleischstraße campus in Giessen. Prof. Dr. Peter Hohmann, Vice President for IT Infrastructure and Digitalization Projects, expressed his gratitude and delight at the significant donation: "This donation demonstrates the close cooperation within Central Hesse for the benefit of Central Hesse." Rittal is a key partner of the university in many Degree Courses, research, and the dual study program StudiumPlus. The Rittal Foundation, the non-profit foundation of the Rittal Group, views this contribution as an investment in the university's teaching and research environment and is therefore donating it within its "Culture & Science" funding program. Ten new server racks have been integrated into THM 's energy management system with the help of partner companies Inotec and JovyAtlas. This enables detailed energy consumption monitoring and makes a significant contribution to the sustainable design of the IT infrastructure. The new rack system is complemented by two modern 30 kW cooling units that dissipate the heat from the servers via a chiller. The goal is to utilize the generated waste heat for building climate control in the medium term, thereby further increasing energy efficiency. The construction and technical implementation of the entire project had a volume of nearly €500,000. The Rittal Foundation has been committed to education, science, and the promotion of young talent in Central Hesse for many years. As a non-profit foundation of the Friedhelm Loh Group, it supports projects that strengthen the region's future viability and offer young people the best possible conditions for their personal and professional development. Rittal and the Friedhelm Loh Group are among the co-founders of StudiumPlus, the nationally successful dual study program at THMof Applied Sciences, which closely combines theory and practice. "THM has been a valued and reliable partner for us for many years. We share the common goal of preparing young people in our region in the best possible way for their professional and personal futures. As the Rittal Foundation, fostering talent in Central Hesse is particularly important to us. That's why we are very pleased to support the university in creating modern and high-performing learning and research environments. This donation is an investment in the skilled professionals of tomorrow and thus in the future of our region," says Rainer Reissner, Managing Director of the Rittal Foundation. THMPresident Prof. Dr. Matthias Willems expressed his gratitude: "In times of tight budgets for universities, such a commitment to Central Hesse as a center of education is of particular significance." Following the setup and testing phase, the infrastructure was put into live operation during the summer months. The new, innovative server room will house the central IT infrastructure of THM 's IT services, as well as server capacity for research and teaching across the Departments. With the new server room THM anticipates a more reliable, powerful, and energy-efficient IT infrastructure that will meet the increasing demands in all areas of the university in the long term. "It's also a blueprint for the future," says project manager Florian Diehl from THM's IT services, who praises the collaborative partnership with all involved parties, including the university's own facility management. While the server room still has plenty of space, there is already a high demand for it: firstly, it offers the opportunity to temporarily relocate older server rooms for modernization, and secondly, it makes THM 's IT infrastructure future-proof well beyond the next decade.

GF and Rittal deliver full-scope polymer cooling infrastructure for next-gen data centers. August 31, 2026 As data center operators push rack densities higher and accelerate the adoption of direct liquid cooling (DLC), the demands on cooling infrastructure are fundamentally changing. Unlike traditional air-based systems, DLC allows data centers to operate higher coolant temperatures, significantly improving overall energy efficiency by reducing chiller workload and enabling more effective heat rejection. The International Energy Agency and the World Economic Forum emphasize that cooling systems, power, water, materials, and workload management must all be addressed holistically to improve sustainability. In response, GF and Rittal have collaborated to deliver a fully integrated cooling solution for NETMOUNTAINS' new co-location data center in Velbert, Germany. With more than 30 years of experience in Facility Water Systems (FWS) and room cooling (HVAC), GF supplied the entire polymer-based cooling loop in this project - from the chiller and dry-cooler all the way to the rack and chip - covering the FWS, Technology Cooling System (TCS), and HVAC. Rittal acts as the complete solution provider for IT infrastructure and cooling equipment, integrating the complete cooling ecosystem, while GF delivers design, engineering, pre-fabrication, and all polymer components for the piping system, including the peripherals. Full-scope cooling, designed for expansion. NETMOUNTAINS' latest data center is designed for maximum project flexibility, offering seamless, multi-megawatt scalability to grow alongside customer requirements. The cooling infrastructure is engineered for these future demands, supporting rack densities of 66 kW, flow rates of approximately 1.2 l/s per server, and operating temperatures of 45/55°C in the TCS and 45/35°C in the FWS. "Our role is to bring all elements of the cooling ecosystem together into one reliable, integrated solution," explains Felix Kremelic, IT Projects Lead at Rittal. "By combining our IT infrastructure and cooling expertise with GF's engineered polymer Flow Solutions, we were able to deliver a scalable, high-performance system that meets today's requirements and is ready for tomorrow's workloads." Rittal, international provider of hardware, automation, and software, has developed a novel cooling solution and NETMOUNTAINS is one of the first to make this technology available to its customers for practical use. The cooling distribution unit delivers a cooling output of over one megawatt in compact rack format. Through its modular construction, it can be more easily integrated into data centers in practical operations. GF supplied Flow Solutions for: * FWS: ecoFIT PE100 piping from dry-cooler to CDU * TCS: LiquidCore engineered Flow Solution, including the PROGF PP-H distribution system from CDU into the white space, in-rack manifolds, and Quick Connect Valve 700. * HVAC: COOL-FIT pre-insulated piping system All systems were engineered, pre-fabricated, and quality-checked by GF to ensure fast installation on site and leak-free operation. Why polymers matter in modern data centers. As DLC gains wider adoption, polymers are increasingly replacing metal in mission-critical cooling loops. Unlike metal piping, engineered thermoplastics are inherently corrosion-free and do not release particles into the coolant, helping maintain coolant purity and significantly reducing system rinsing. In addition, polymer systems offer lower weight, high chemical resistance, and lower thermal conductivity, supporting stable and efficient cooling performance. Welded polymer connections further ensure long-term leak tightness and reliable operation, making them well suited for modern CDUs and high-performance computing (HPC) environments. The German project demonstrates how engineered polymer Flow Solutions are not only viable but essential for scalable, high-density data center cooling. Experience you can build on. With decades of experience in mission-critical environments - from semiconductor manufacturing to industrial process cooling and data centers - GF brings global expertise, standardized processes, and local project support. Combined with Rittal's leadership in IT infrastructure and cooling integration, the cooperation offers data center planners and operators a single, reliable path from concept to operation. Key quotes. "Increasing rack densities and the wider adoption of direct-to-chip liquid cooling are fundamentally changing the requirements for data center cooling infrastructure," says Ergin Sarac, Data Center Specialist at GF. "Instead of isolated systems, operators need fully integrated cooling loops. This project shows how combining IT infrastructure, cooling technology, and polymer Flow Solutions reduces complexity, accelerates installation, and improves long-term operational stability," explains Ergin Sarac. "For us as an operator, reliability and scalability were key," says Stephan Reugels, Co-Founder and CEO, NETMOUNTAINS. "The integrated cooling concept and the use of GF's engineered piping systems give us confidence that the infrastructure will perform consistently as rack densities increase and the data center expands over time."