Idec or?

I have been reading the forums for quite sometime and have a few questions.

I have been programming plc's for quite a few years but have not done any hmi's till now.

The project is a molding press (5 of them) that will require the following.
1. pressure setting
2. dwell time
3. analog 0-10vdc ramp up signal to valve (no pid)

Each part reguires the above three variable twice, first and second operation.

The customer will require about fifty different parts and will be storing the variable's as the parts are set up.

Will the Idec be a good purchase for a first time Hmi programmer?

Can someone give me an idea of how to set up the variable's? they will be set with the hmi keypad.

Thanks in advance

The HMI should have a 'Recipe' function. You can set up the sequence here, but most recipes have values hard coded. If you want the customer to adjust them, then create a seperate page for Parameters.
I don't know about IDEC. You can download software and try it out for Maple and C'More.

If you can program PLC's, then HMI's will be a breeze.
It really depends on what manufaturer's product you are talking about. Some software includes recipe data folders, with known integer locations for storage of your recipe data. The buttons are easy to learn.
Myself, I like to use the PLC to control all data. I use the PLC logic to control screen changes, and control bit latching. Most of the HMI software out there will give you options for example (Bit B3:0/1 trigger button) LATCH, MULTISTATE,TOGGLE,etc.
Download some of the demo stuff and see what you can do. It is actually quite addicting after you are into it.......

I have downloaded a few demo's and at first I thought sheesh do I really need to do this.

But I suppose it's a good thing.............in the end.

Thanks for the replies

What brand of PLC are you using? If Omron, the NS series screens are absolutely awsome. Exremely powerful but not cheap. Omron are planning to release a set of software virtually identical to CX-Designer as a SCADA system for computers so that a project developed for the screen will dump straight into a computer.

Slip Bob a few bucks and he'll do the project for you!