AutoCAD Electrical 2027 – Importing ECLASS Data

By Miles Nicholson

ECLASS provides a standardised framework for classifying and managing electrical components, helping to improve design consistency, enhance BOM accuracy, and facilitate seamless interoperability with ERP, PLM, CAE, and procurement systems. AutoCAD Electrical supports the import of ECLASS data, enabling users to incorporate standardised product classifications and component descriptions directly into their electrical design projects. In addition to catalogue data being imported into the catalogue database, footprints (STP or DWG), and 3D models (IPT) can be imported too, creating a centralised source of component information for both engineering and downstream business processes.

Select Import/Export Data ribbon tab > Import pane >

Select to browse to the extracted downloaded folder from the manufacturers web site or from the content web site (e.g. Cadenas)

N.B. Using the ARKANCE AutoCAD Electrical Localiser, select Electrical + ribbon tab > Other Tools pane > to view manufacturers content

Select  Step file (.stp)

Select  

The stp file will be converted to a DWG

You can review warnings

Select to import the part(s) into AutoCAD Electrical

A confirmation message will be displayed:

In the above example:

• a part has been added to the catalogue database
• an entry added to the footprint lookup database
• a drawing created in the associated project footprint library

Select