Cut & Strip
Schleuniger AG
Schleuniger’s Cut & Strip machines are designed for the precise cutting and stripping of wires and cables. These machines serve a crucial purpose in industries such as automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, and electronics, where accurate wire preparation is essential for ensuring proper connections and functionality in electrical systems.
The system of a cable processing machine is highly complex and requires deep professional knowledge. Without the necessary experience and training, operating such a system can be challenging. Our goal as UX designers was to create an intuitive interface that allows even users without specialized education to work efficiently and without errors.
Project Overview
Project
Cut & Strip machine interface
Company
Schleuniger AG
Platform
12-inch industrial touchscreen
User groups
Operators, Maintenance Technicians, Power Users
My role
Product Designer / UX, UI
Main focus
Workflow structure, interface clarity, touch-friendly interaction, visual consistency, error prevention, and guided machine setup.
My contribution
I analyzed the legacy interface, structured user workflows, defined key UX improvements, created UI concepts, designed interaction patterns, and collaborated closely with the Product Owner, engineers, and domain experts.
The Challenge
Cable processing machines combine mechanical precision, automation, material handling, and advanced configuration logic. For users, this means that even small setup mistakes can lead to incorrect cable results, production delays, or additional machine adjustments.
The previous interface was technically powerful, but it had grown over several machine generations. As more functions were added, the interface became visually dense and harder to navigate. Important settings were often mixed with secondary information, and users had to understand complex machine logic in order to make the right decisions.
The design challenge was to create an interface that could:
- guide users through complex setup steps;
- reduce the risk of configuration errors;
- support both beginners and expert users;
- keep critical information visible on a compact touchscreen;
- standardize the UI across machine functions;
- preserve access to advanced technical settings.
Users & Operational Context
The system is used in industrial production environments by three primary user groups: Operators, Maintenance Technicians, and Power Users (Process Specialists).
User insights were gathered through close collaboration with the Product Owner, engineering teams, and domain expertise from the production environment.
Each user group has distinct goals, responsibilities, and interaction patterns.
Operator
Operators are responsible for daily production tasks, including configuring cable parameters, starting and monitoring production, and performing quick adjustments.
Key characteristics:
-
Work under time pressure
-
Focus on efficiency and speed
-
Require clear status visibility
-
Need simplified workflows for repetitive tasks
-
Limited tolerance for configuration errors
For this group, the interface must minimize cognitive load and support fast, predictable interaction
Maintenance Technician
Maintenance users interact with the system during setup, calibration, troubleshooting, and service operations.
Key characteristics:
-
Perform less frequent but more complex tasks
-
Require access to deeper system settings
-
Need diagnostic visibility and system transparency
-
Focus on accuracy and technical detail
The interface must provide structured access to advanced parameters without overwhelming regular operators.
Power User / Process Specialist
Power users are experienced technicians or engineers responsible for defining new cable configurations, optimizing processing parameters, and handling advanced setups.
Key characteristics:
-
High domain knowledge
-
Need flexibility and fine-grained control
-
Frequently work with multiple cable types
-
Require efficiency without unnecessary constraints
For this group, the system must balance guidance with configurational freedom.
Designing for these three user profiles required a layered interaction model – supporting quick, streamlined workflows for operators, while enabling deeper system control for maintenance and expert users
Legacy System Analysis
The previous interface had evolved incrementally over multiple machine generations. While technically robust, it reflected years of feature additions without a unified UX framework. As machine capabilities expanded, structural limitations became increasingly visible.
A systematic review of the legacy UI revealed several core challenges:
Fragmented Visual Language
Different modules employed varying button styles, typography scales, and layout structures. This lack of consistency reduced interaction predictability and increased learning effort.
Limited Visual Hierarchy
Primary production parameters and secondary settings often shared similar visual emphasis. Operators needed to scan dense layouts to identify critical controls, increasing cognitive load in time-sensitive situations.
Overloaded Screens on a Compact Display
Given the 12-inch industrial touchscreen constraint, many screens contained tightly packed information and small touch targets. This reduced clarity and increased the likelihood of interaction errors.
Deep and Inefficient Navigation
Common configuration tasks required navigating through multiple nested menus. This interrupted workflow continuity and slowed down repetitive setup processes
UX Principles
Designing the new interface required balancing functional depth with clarity within strict industrial constraints. The main UX challenges included:
Guide, don’t overwhelm
The interface should guide users through the workflow step by step, while keeping advanced settings accessible when needed
Prioritize what matters now
The most important information should be visible at the right moment: cable parameters during programming, setup tasks during preparation, and status information during production.
Make machine logic visible
Complex dependencies between cable configuration, equipment setup, and production quality should be translated into clear visual feedback.
Prevent errors before production starts
The system should block progress when critical settings are missing and skip unnecessary steps when they are not relevant for the selected cable type.
Workflow-Based Navigation
1. Cable Programming
The user defines the essential characteristics of the final cable, such as length, cable type, color, markings, and end processing.
2. Settings & Preparation
The user prepares the machine, checks materials, configures additional equipment, loads the cable, and creates a sample version.
3. Production
Once all required settings are completed and verified, the user can start serial production. This structure helps users understand where they are in the process, what has already been completed, and what still needs attention.
Real-time cable configuration
In the first step, the user defines all the key characteristics of the final cable:
• Length • End processing type • Color • Markings or printed information • Cable type
To enhance visual clarity and user experience, we integrated a 3D visualization of the cable. As users modify parameters, the cable’s appearance updates in real time, allowing them to see exactly how their changes affect the final product. This dynamic preview ensures better decision-making and reduces the likelihood of errors.
UX value
- improves understanding of the final cable result;
- reduces interpretation errors;
- supports faster decision-making;
- makes abstract parameters more tangible;
- helps less experienced users feel more confident
Intuitive navigation system
We implemented a navigation system that reflects the natural workflow and consists of three key stages:
1. Cable Programming – defining the essential parameters such as length, end processing, color, and markings.
2. Settings and Preparation – configuring additional equipment, checking raw materials, loading the cable, creating a test version, and verifying processing quality.
3. Production – the final stage, where serial manufacturing begins.
To keep the interface clean and user-friendly, the SetUp tab is initially collapsed. This way, the user immediately understands that after programming the cable, they will need to configure settings. However, the details of these settings only become visible once the user clicks on the SetUp tab.
The system is designed to guide the user intelligently:
• If certain settings are unnecessary for the specific cable type, the system automatically skips irrelevant steps and directs the user to the appropriate screen.
• If any critical settings are missing, the system prevents further progress, ensuring that all essential configurations are completed before moving forward.
Smart Equipment Management
This interface simplifies the configuration of additional equipment in automated production processes. To ensure seamless operation, the system visually presents all available auxiliary machines in an intuitive card-based layout. Each machine can be activated or deactivated based on current production needs, allowing for flexible adaptation to different workflows.
When a machine is required, the system provides clear, step-by-step instructions on the necessary setup and tasks. Users receive a specific action item related to the selected equipment, such as connection, calibration, or function testing. Only after confirming task completion can they proceed to the next step, ensuring that each piece of equipment is correctly configured before production continues.
This structured and interactive approach enhances efficiency, reduces setup errors, and streamlines the overall production process, making complex machine integration user-friendly and precise.
Unique solution for Trouble shooting
A cable processing machine is a highly complex system that demands specialized knowledge. Before beginning full-scale production, users often need to create a sample variant to ensure everything meets the required specifications. If the sample falls short, adjustments to the system settings become necessary. But which settings should be modified?
To streamline the user’s workflow and provide effective guidance, we have developed the “Corrections and Troubleshooting” feature, designed to simplify this process and enhance efficiency.
In the event of an incorrect cable processing result, the system provides an intuitive way for the user to quickly diagnose and resolve the issue. After inspecting the cable, the user selects the side where the processing error occurred—for example, the left-side application. A pop-up window then appears, presenting various troubleshooting options.From a dropdown menu, the user identifies the specific issue—for instance, residual insulation left on the blade. The system then suggests precise adjustments, such as increasing the air blow to clear excess material. These intelligent recommendations help the user fine-tune machine settings effortlessly.
Once the necessary adjustments are made, the user runs a sample test to verify the improvement. This streamlined troubleshooting process ensures minimal downtime, optimized machine performance, and consistently high-quality results.