MOTION SYSTEM APPLICATIONS
HMIs play key role in
cobot/robot palletizing application A human machine interface — or HMI for short — is a control terminal on machinery to let operators monitor machine functions and adjust them as needed. This interaction is through a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows communications to and from supervisory controls and machine HMIs. HMI hardware consists of compact controllers with embedded functions, usually in the form of ruggedized touchscreens such as LCDs with tempered glass and cast-aluminum frames or even sealed enclosures for outdoor applications or indoor plant applications where oil, dirt, and machining byproducts are present. Today’s HMI technologies include increasingly flexible setups as well as ever-increasing resolution. There’s also been an uptick in affordable touchscreens and steady replacement of resistive displays with capacitive ones. These capacitive displays are used in medical and food-and-beverage applications needing bezelfree designs, as they’re sleeker and allow sterilization and easier cleaning. Solid-glass capacitive touchscreens also last longer than HMI hardware based on resistive technologies, because the screens don’t use pressure points to form circuits, so don’t wear or lose sensitivity over time. What’s more, many HMIs with capacitive displays have the multitouch capabilities of smartphones, which lets OEMs leverage user familiarity to offer intuitive interfaces.
56
HMIs - MC 11-19.indd 56
DESIGN WORLD — MOTION
11 • 2019
Newer HMI designs now offer advanced connectivity options as well as signal and data processing capabilities. This means that HMIs only a few years old are being superseded by new HMI software and hardware systems capable of supporting IoT functionality. These new HMIs let operators make more use of plant and machine data in increasingly automated operations. One recent example of a robotic application highlights the important role the HMI played in the selection process. Nestlé recently installed two units of CoboAccess_Pal, an industrial, safe and easy-to-use cobotic palletizing solution from Sidel, at their site in Orbe, Switzerland. By automating the palletizing of their Special.T capsules, Nestlé Suisse SA Orbe gained higher pallet quality while offering increased ease-of-operations for their workers. The latter benefit was ensured by the solution’s automation platform; based on the combination of PC and PLC, it allows better-controlled trajectories for improved cobot picking and placing. motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com
11/18/19 3:33 PM
