SPS Nürnberg 2026AutomationIndustry 4.0

Product data for automation & Industry 4.0

prodexa PIM manages product data for automation and Industry 4.0 centrally: variants, ETIM/ECLASS classification, CAD data and the Digital Product Passport. In automation, a single base product often varies in hundreds of attributes such as voltage, protection class or interface. Customers demand data classified to ETIM and ECLASS, engineering systems need clean master data or supply detailed product attributes themselves, and the Digital Product Passport brings new obligations. During SPS Nürnberg from 24 to 26 November 2026, we will come straight to your stand.

Book a meeting at SPSUnderstand the challenges
6 in 10
companies rate the quality of their product data as poor
Aras, “Europe’s Industry in Transition”, 2023
only 25%
of German industrial companies can use the information they have to make well-founded decisions
Dun & Bradstreet, 2025
24–26 Nov
SPS Nürnberg: we come to your stand
Book your meeting online now
Challenges

Why product data in automation is so demanding

Huge variety of variants

A single base product often varies in hundreds of attributes – voltage, protection class, interfaces, dimensions and much more. Every variant needs complete, correct technical data. prodexa supports you with inheritance logic, automations and editors for bulk data changes.

Complex classifications

Customers frequently require product data to ETIM and ECLASS Basic or Advanced – including suitable exchange formats such as ETIM xChange or BMEcat. Classifications often have to be kept in several versions to serve every customer well. prodexa supports this with multi-classification.

Engineering compatibility

Product data must be usable seamlessly in CAD and ECAD systems – whether EPLAN, WSCAD, AutoCAD or SolidWorks. Conversely, technical data from CAD and ECAD systems can be taken over via import or a web service interface.

Compliance data & documents

Certificates, declarations of conformity and data sheets must be up to date, versioned and assigned to the right item. prodexa can generate these documents automatically and keep them current, provided the underlying data is maintained in the system.

Digital Product Passport

Under the ESPR, structured product data becomes a prerequisite for access to the EU market. prodexa collects the data required for the DPP centrally, stores it and makes it maintainable. Digital registration in the EU registry via a web service can also be prepared, and prodexa generates PDF documents directly.

How it works

From new product to publication in every sales channel

One continuous process instead of Excel lists, emails and duplicate maintenance.

  1. 01

    Create the product

    Capture basic data or take it over from ERP and supplier data – variants are derived directly from the base product. AI tools support you along the way.

    Data foundation in place
  2. 02

    Classify & enrich

    Assign the ETIM and ECLASS class, maintain technical attributes, attach documents, images and CAD data to the item.

    Standards-compliant
  3. 03

    Translate

    Translate texts and attributes for every target market – with terminology and translation management in the system and AI support: fast and cost-effective.

    Ready for international markets
  4. 04

    Assign sales channels

    Define which products and ranges go to which shop, marketplace, customer portal or catalogue. Standard and customer-specific prices can be maintained and synchronised.

    Channels defined
  5. 05

    Publish

    Output data automatically – as ETIM xChange, BMEcat, feed or print catalogue. Alongside web services, prodexa offers numerous standard connectors, e.g. for Shopify, Shopware, Amazon and eBay.

    Live in every channel
Features

Everything your product data in automation needs

Service

Spare parts & accessories

Link spare parts, accessories, repair kits and wear parts directly to the product – so customers quickly find the right part.

International

Translation management

Manage terminology and translations centrally – for consistent product information in every market.

Publishing

Print publishing

Produce catalogues, flyers, data sheets, labels and legally compliant documents directly from the PIM data – without maintaining anything twice.

Engineering

CAD & engineering data

Provide product data for EPLAN, WSCAD, AutoCAD, SolidWorks and other CAD/ECAD systems – and consume it from them, too.

Compliance

Documents & media

Manage data sheets, certificates, manuals, drawings and images centrally on the item – multilingual and versioned. Image derivatives are rendered live or in advance in the formats and sizes you need.

Sales

Product relationships

Show alternatives and successor models – for cross-selling and upselling. Bidirectional with a single click. Important data can also be stored on the relationship itself.

Standards

Classification management

Integrate and map ETIM, ECLASS Basic and Advanced as well as UNSPSC, and maintain several ETIM versions in parallel.

Channels

Channel-specific product profiles

Combine technical data with texts tailored to each target group – including a channel-specific preview.

Collaboration

Workflows & approvals

Bring internal and external teams together in structured processes – for fewer errors and faster approvals. A visual workflow editor makes it easy to define and adapt workflows.

prodexa & automation

Our solution for your product data

prodexa GmbH, based in Dortmund, develops the cloud-based PIM/PXM platform prodexa. In the software, manufacturers and distributors maintain their product data centrally and publish it to all sales channels.

01

Central variant management

Maintain extensive product relationships and technical attributes flexibly in one place. AI functions, inheritance and bulk data editors make data maintenance easier.

02

ETIM/ECLASS-ready

Classify your components in line with the standards and with little manual rework.

03

Automated data exchange

Feed your product data into web shops, marketplaces and customer portals automatically and consistently – also as ETIM xChange or BMEcat.

Feeds & sales channels →
04

Integrate manufacturer and supplier data

Take over data from manufacturers and upstream suppliers – also via supplier onboarding.

Supplier onboarding →
05

Navigation & search

Integrated navigation and search tool – also as a front end for your e-commerce solution.

Brand Portal & product search →
06

DPP-ready

Your centrally maintained product data forms the foundation for the Digital Product Passport.

More on the Digital Product Passport →
SPS Nürnberg · 24–26 November 2026

We will come to you at SPS

From 24 to 26 November 2026 we will be out and about at SPS Nürnberg, visiting you directly at your stand. Talk to us about variant diversity, classification, engineering data and the Digital Product Passport. Using concrete examples from practice, we will show you how easy it is to work with prodexa.

Book a meeting at SPSMore about prodexa PIM
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

01What is ETIM?

ETIM is an open, international classification standard for technical products that describes product classes and their attributes in a uniform way. This makes similar products from different manufacturers comparable using the same attributes and units. ETIM 10.0 was released in December 2024; new major releases follow roughly every three years. ETIM 11 is scheduled for release in December 2026. Visit ETIM International →

02What is ECLASS – and what is the difference between Basic and Advanced?

ECLASS is a cross-industry standard for classifying and describing products. Basic and Advanced differ in their purpose and in the complexity of the data structure: ECLASS Basic has a flat structure – a simple list of attributes and values – and is optimised for commercial processes, purchasing, logistics and ERP systems. ECLASS Advanced is the multidimensional, backward-compatible extension model for technical engineering (CAD/CAE), PLM and Industry 4.0.

Advanced models complex products using blocks and aspects that group related properties logically. Cardinalities capture components that occur several times (e.g. four identical mounting plates), and polymorphism represents variable components via placeholders – without data redundancy. While Basic data is exchanged as CSV or BMEcat, Advanced uses its own XML schema. Visit ECLASS →

03What is ETIM xChange?

ETIM xChange is the modern, international exchange format for product master data in sectors such as electrical engineering and HVAC/plumbing. ETIM International developed it specifically to transfer ETIM-classified product data natively and without loss of information – as the successor to the previous BMEcat-based ETIM data delivery.

The format is based on lean JSON, which makes it ideal for web services and REST APIs. Instead of sending large catalogue files by hand, ETIM xChange enables automated updates – for example of changed data only – directly between the systems of manufacturers and distributors. It also offers dedicated structures for regulatory information, such as environmental and sustainability data. ETIM xChange at ETIM International →

04What is BMEcat?

BMEcat is an XML-based standard format for exchanging electronic product catalogues between suppliers and buyers. It was initiated by the German Association for Supply Chain Management, Procurement and Logistics (BME) together with companies, and technically developed by Fraunhofer IAO and the universities of Duisburg-Essen and Linz. Version 1.0 was adopted in 1999; the current version is BMEcat 2005.2, developed in close coordination with ECLASS. It allows classified products to be transferred together with their attributes. BMEcat at BME e.V. (in German) →

05Do I need ETIM and ECLASS at the same time?

That depends on your customers and sales channels, as many buyers require a specific standard.

06What does the Digital Product Passport have to do with my product data?

Classic product data such as master data and technical attributes is the foundation of the DPP, but on its own it is far from sufficient. The DPP is not a static product catalogue: it also requires sustainability, supply chain and life cycle data.

This includes evidence such as the carbon footprint (PCF), detailed material and recycling information, repair instructions and regulatory certificates. Over the product’s life, dynamic data is added, for example on maintenance. If you maintain your product data centrally today, you have laid the foundation – the next step is integrating ESG and circularity data. More on the DPP