Lenze and Rittal team up on power distribution and drive technologies
27 May 2025 
Two German automation companies – the electrical power distribution and enclosures giant Rittal and the automation and drives specialist Lenze – have formed a technology partnership aimed at shaping the future of power distribution and intelligent drive technologies. They will work together on joint developments based on a combination of Rittal’s RiLineX clickable busbar system, that it launched last year, and Lenze’s compact inverter technologies.
“With the system platform RiLineX, Rittal is defining new standards for power distribution in the enclosure,” says Lenze SE CEO, Dr Marc Wucherer. “Through the incorporation of Lenze inverters, we can now extend the benefits to drive technologies and create more compact solutions for our customers.”
For example, Lenze’s i550 cabinet frequency inverter – which, the company claims, is the smallest in its class – and its fuses can be mounted onto a RiLineX board via a single adapter using a “click-and-work” principle. This will guarantee the highest possible packing density, say Lenze and Rittal.
The slim design of the inverters allow seamless inline mounting on the boards, which themselves allow unrestricted top mounting. The risk of cabling mistakes is eliminated and users will be able to cut engineering times by up to 30% and assembly times by up to 75% compared to traditional busbar systems, according to Rittal and Lenze. A Wi-Fi data connection to the frequency inverter also helps to accelerate commissioning.
Rittal launched the RiLineX enclosure-based power distribution system at last year’s SPS show in Germany. It consists of boards and components that click together, simplifying the previously laborious process of assembling such systems. It uses copper bars integrated directly into the board, allowing components to be mounted anywhere. This eliminates the convoluted process of arranging supports on a project-by-project basis.
Lenze’s scalable i550 cabinet inverter have open interfaces for all common control systems, and can be used for applications such as conveyors, hoists, extruders, packaging machines and air-conditioning systems. They can operate across a temperature range from –30°C to +60°C.
“The Lenze i550 cabinet is the most compact frequency inverter in the world in its class. This key plus point is further enhanced in combination with RiLineX,” says Christian Eberhard, Lenze’s senior vice-president of sales for the central EMEA region. “The platform allows for even simpler, space-saving installation.”
Rittal and Lenze have a similar approach to high-quality data which, they say, is “a prerequisite for efficient planning and designing and configuration”. For example, Rittal’s RiPower system integrates closely with software from its sister company, Eplan. Lenze is an Eplan technology partner and also uses its data.
Eplan’s Data Portal, which contains more than four million items of article data, can act as a data source for Lenze’s Easy Product Finder online tool for selecting, configuring and ordering its products. The software can generate a set of Eplan data including wiring lists, enclosure add-ons and manufacturing documentation. Lenze’s customers can also download manufacturing data in Eplan format at the press of a button, and the same data can be accessed via Lenz’s Web-based Easy System Designer engineering tool for configuring drives and planning machines.
“Lenze sets the pace in the field of automation,” says Rittal’s chief business units officer, Ulrich Engenhardt. “By integrating electromechanical, electronic and software expertise they demonstrate an understanding of the customer’s processes far beyond the functions of individual components. That aligns perfectly with Rittal’s approach and makes the company an excellent technology partner within the RiLineX ecosystem.”
