What to place on a main screen (HMI)

Hi,

WHile production is running, there are things to show on the panel it's automatic screen ...

Things I placed there (see other topics of me to see images):

An drawing of the machine, sequencersteps, produced products, see what runs, what is in alarm and so on, product choice, etc...


What I'm asking is, sequencersteps, is this interesting to place on an operator his screen ?? I think this is just a bunch of numbers that is ment for the maintenance department, not for an operator...

Opinions ?

I started with putting the sequence step numbers but like you said its just a bunch of numbers. Then I had the idea to put a description of each step into a text list then they can see the step number and know what it is. This is great because if something happens they can tell me its going to this step and stopping.

So I think that would be great.

Hi ,

A list of steps and the position the machine is at( as was previously stated ) is very useful

If graphics allow , a representation on screen of the process and a flashing icon or graphic showing the section on the machine that has a fault is also useful

Funny

For the Operator


Some "DO NOT PRESS THIS" Buttons


Along with a CLOCK and the Tea Break Times

And then to finish the Operators Screen off a DownTime Hour Counter with a Target to hit for Operator caused breakdowns !

I also put textual descriptions of my steps on the screen. Immensely helpful for both the operator's and myself in remote troubleshooting.

504bloke said:

For the Operator
Some "DO NOT PRESS THIS" Buttons
Along with a CLOCK and the Tea Break Times
And then to finish the Operators Screen off a DownTime Hour Counter with a Target to hit for Operator caused breakdowns !

Click to expand...

I dream of installing a PANIC button. Pressing would get siren flashing light, bells and whistles flashing PANIC light, and if carried to maximum water spray and maybe even a smoke generator.

OK sigh, I can dream cant I?? DAxx reality.


Dan Bentler

Years ago, I installed a system (PLC-3) in a brewery to replace a relay logic control system. The relay system had 3 drum sequencers.

When we had tested the system, and turned it over to the operators, their first question was "where do we look to see which step the sequencers are on?".

It seems that they had been going around behind the old relay panel, opening the doors, and looking at the drum sequencers to determine where the system was at. We ended up adding a primitive HMI to display the sequencer positions. Since then, I've always given the operators an on-screen display of the sequencer position number, accompanied by an English description of the step. Also, if the step happens to be a timed step, I display a countdown timer, showing the remaining time in the current step. I also make available to the operators a copy of the Excel spreadsheet used to design the sequencer, which provides all the steps, and the corresponding sequencer outputs.

Operators seem to appreciate this information.

ok

I used ProAgent, with this I can show my steps automatically. Thanks to Bratt I was able to make this work. I will delete the i/o fields where u only can see stepnumbers, as you all say, text does say more then numbers

Combo said:

Hi,

WHile production is running, there are things to show on the panel it's automatic screen ...

Things I placed there (see other topics of me to see images):

An drawing of the machine, sequencersteps, produced products, see what runs, what is in alarm and so on, product choice, etc...

Opinions ?

Click to expand...

Interesting things to put on the screen (or template) is the screen number , date and time , user logged and an icon ( or 'LED') if protections are bypassed) a picture of a key if you need special user level to change something)

greetings
Eric

A lot of systems I have put in have as much info on the main screen as possible as this is les work for the operator having to keep changing screens, of course without cluttering it.
I also put step texts in but we have a step number (sequence) that is only visible under engineer level, it is possible to change the step (sequence number) via this field however we have a sequence engine that stops random changes there are certain criteria like step on sequence number & error checks (store last sequence & compare change) so that only certain step no's can be modified if an error then it reverts to the original step no.

This is how it looks now.

'RESET VEREIST' is only shown when needed.

'GESTART' and 'GESTOPT' lights are in graphic lists, so these can light up green and red.


Navigation:

- Diagnose = see the sequencenumbers and go to ProAgent screens

- Productie = production data, how many downtimes, produced parts, etc..

- Product Ingave = recipes

- Banken Aan/Uit = machineparts that can be shut off

- Banken Resets = machineparts that can be resetted


this is what I have untill now with on the bottom of the screen an alarmline

PS: Gekozen product = a STRING that represents the actual loaded recipe. The recipe it's name is stored as a string in the PLC.