Visualisation, control and machine operation at once.

The MATCH product line with a specialised platform for industrial panel PCs that integrates control and operation functions within a single system has been expanded by Wahchendorf Prozesstechnik. The solutions are aimed at machine and plant manufacturers as well as operators of industrial production facilities requiring compact, robust and flexible HMI solutions.

MATCH CONTROL focuses on combining visualisation, control and direct machine operation.

It combines panel PCs with control elements for efficient HMI concepts in machine and plant engineering The panel PCs integrate high-performance computing technology with physical control elements such as push-buttons, switches or emergency stop functions.

The systems are designed for industrial environments and are suitable for direct installation on machines or support arm systems. Various display sizes and form factors enable precise integration.

Like all MATCH products, the devices follow a standardised structure with expansion options. Interfaces, design and functionality can be adapted. This combination of integration, robustness and flexibility reduces development effort and supports efficient HMI concepts.

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@mepaxIntPR #wachendorff_prozesstechnik #PAuto

Easy monitoring of robot fleets.

"Smart, Connect, Optimize, Prevent and Enable!"

Remote monitoring, fault identification, visualisation and optimisation of robot fleets – all of these actions can be performed conveniently, securely, and efficiently with the SCOPE platform, which Stäubli has now made even more powerful with a recent update.

Networking and connectivity are major trends in industrial production, and accordingly, advances in this area are implemented as comprehensively and efficiently as possible in robotics as well. With the SCOPE platform, Stäubli demonstrates how practical implementation works and the advantages of connected robot monitoring.

The acronym SCOPE stands for “Smart, Connect, Optimize, Prevent and Enable,” which neatly summarizes the nature of this digital solution for robot fleet monitoring. The on-site platform aggregates, processes, analyzes and visualizes not only robot data but also application and cell equipment data, allowing users to view an array of relevant operating data for each robotic system on a central dashboard. This enables the detection of irregularities or gradual deviations from specifications and allows for timely preventive measures to be taken before quality is compromised, components become damaged, or the production line comes to a halt.

The real-time data collected and the resulting SCOPE analysis can also be communicated to higher-level architecture layers as well as to databases and analysis tools. SCOPE is able to forward data via MQTT, HTTP response, and WebSocket, enabling connection to the user’s ERP, SCM, or MES system.

Transparency across the entire fleet.
The benefits of SCOPE are immediately apparent: Manufacturing professionals always have a secure overview of the status of all robots. With this update, the solution is now even more powerful, enabling the monitoring of VAL3 program variables and I/Os to visualise trends and production-related data. This allows SCOPE to not only play a role in robot-specific data but also monitor cell equipment, sensors, and application-related data. Users can, for example, set thresholds for custom warning alerts. If these thresholds are exceeded, an instant notification is sent regarding deviations from target values. This empowers plant operators to react to trends early and avoid scrap. Further, the ability to evaluate log files remotely means errors can be analysed and resolved from anywhere. Naturally, this solution represents the first step toward AI-driven optimisation processes.

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@PresseBox @StaubliRobots #PAuto #Automotive

Virtual process line visualisation.

A tool for experts- and those who want to become one.

EMG is renowned for its expertise in flat materials production and processing, especially steel and aluminum. Whether in the hot or cold section, on coating, annealing, galvanizing or tinning lines - their systems have become an integral part of ensuring quality, stability, and process control in demanding production environments. The portfolio includes sensor systems, strip guiding elements, hydraulic solutions, actuators, and comprehensive quality assurance systems.

But as the breadth and complexity of EMG’s product landscape has grown, so has the challenge: How can potential customers or partners quickly grasp where and how these solutions fit into their specific process lines? With well over 100 possible installation locations across various line types and process sections, it’s easy to lose the overview.

To address this challenge, EMG has launched a digital process line visualisation tool on its website - a highly intuitive and interactive resource for anyone seeking clarity, insight, and product information.

Navigating process lines digitally.
The new online visualisation starts with a macro-level view: the user selects a specific line type, such as a continuous galvanizing line, continuous coating line, or cold rolling mill. With a single click, the viewer zooms into a detailed digital representation of the line layout, clearly showing where individual EMG systems are typically installed.

Each possible installation location is marked and clickable. Whether it’s a sensor measuring strip width after the uncoiler, or a strip guiding system at the strip accumulator - every element is anchored within its real context.

This structure reflects the real-world complexity of these lines while offering a streamlined path to the relevant information. By focusing on each line section, users not only understand where a product is installed, but also why it's needed and how it contributes to the process.

Deeper insights at every level.
What truly sets EMG’s visualisation apart is its layered depth. After selecting an installation point, users are taken to the products used at that position. Each product is presented with a high-resolution, rotatable 3D model, offering a realistic impression of the system’s form and look.

From there, technical specifications, typical application scenarios, customer benefits, product brochures, and direct links to EMG’s product website are only one click away. As an example, users examining the strip width measurement after the uncoiler can compare solutions such as the EMG BREIMO or EMG iCAM®, and view both hardware and feature highlights instantly.

The system also offers a seamless connection to EMG’s service infrastructure. On every process line overview, users can access relevant links to service offerings including repairs, spare parts, retrofits, and maintenance. This makes the tool not only useful for engineering and quality management but also highly relevant for service teams and plant operators.

A tool for experts- and those who want to become one.
With this new digital platform, EMG combines its decades of experience with modern visualisation technology to provide a unique user experience. The tool is especially valuable for production engineers, maintenance personnel, and quality management professionals looking for fast, reliable insights into how EMG solutions can fit into their specific process environments.

Whether you’re exploring new equipment for a plant upgrade, planning a retrofit, or simply comparing technologies - this tool enables you to dive as deep as you like. From high-level line overviews down to interactive 3D product visualisations, the structure offers both orientation and detail, tailored to your needs.

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@PresseBox #EMG #PAuto 

Visualization enables overall equipment efficiency.

With Talk2M® Visualization from HMS, machine builders get a fast and cost-efficient path to visualize machine data and get dashboards of historical data combined with notifications and reports. This ready-to-go IoT solution facilitates and improves decision-making processes related to machines.

Industrial machines must be serviced and supported throughout their lifespan, but maintenance can become expensive as customers’ support expectations are increasing, and machine downtime becomes unacceptable among machine users. Furthermore, machine builders want their service technicians to manage a larger volume of machines. To stay competitive, they also need to enhance their machines with a state-of-the-art support infrastructure.

The key to leverage the profits of an increasing customer base – without increasing cost – is to be able to have full insight of machine performance and health. By visualizing the valuable data inside the machines, machine builders and their service technicians get the information and insights they need to improve support and make better decisions.

The new Talk2M Visualization functionality enables machine builders to easily visualize machine data to study trends, create dashboards, set up alarms and provide user-controlled access to any aspect of the customers’ machines. The machine data is collected by an Ewon Flexy gateway which in turn is connected to the proven and trusted industrial cloud solution Ewon Talk2M. As of today, more than 400,000 machines are already connected via Talk2M.

“With this new visualization functionality, machine builders are able to have a sophisticated, safe and complete support solution at even if their business is small”, says Sébastien Thinnes, Product & Marketing Director at HMS Networks Business Unit Ewon.

The new visualization functionality is available at no additional costs, for all users of Talk2M Pro.

@hmsnetworks @ewon_hms @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Wireless

Machine visualisation solution.

PACSystems RXi HMI delivers visualisation for the digital age: intuitive graphics, smartphone-like usability, collaboration from anywhere and industrial ruggedness.

Machine builders in any industrial application can now use Emerson’s PACSystems™ RXi HMI, a next-generation machine visualisation solution designed to help set their systems apart for customers. The new system easily helps users overcome the limitations of lower budgets, fewer people and higher productivity demands. This highly intuitive human-machine interface (HMI) addresses the needs of today’s industrial workforce with easy-to-use, smartphone-like graphical displays without sacrificing rugged, industrial performance.

“Machine builders and OEMs are no longer ‘one and done’ suppliers to their customers. Today, they become long-term collaborators by developing new and better ways to solve customer problems,” said Jeff Householder, president of Emerson’s machine automation solutions business. “The new PACSystems RXi HMI is an easy, cost-effective way to add significant customer value to a system by enabling new levels of ease of use, increasing productivity, speeding communications, improving analytics and business intelligence capabilities, and easing the move into IIoT. In every way, the RXi HMI is built for real industrial environments as well as the next-generation of industrial workers.”

Unlike traditional resistive displays, PACSystems RXi HMI is designed with projective capacitive touchscreen technology that allows users to interact with the visual display with 10-point multitouch capabilities like swipe, pinch or zoom to move to the next screen or expand a chart, enabling easy operation by a wide range of personnel with varying levels of training and experience.

The system comes pre-loaded and pre-licensed with the advanced Movicon™ WebHMI software, so the device is conveniently ready to operate out of the box, saving customer time. PACSystems RXi HMI is HTML5-ready which allows users to collaborate from anywhere, so that the operations, management and maintenance teams can all view the same screen at the same time, no matter the distance. This immediate sharing of information and access to expertise reduces maintenance costs and improves productivity.

In addition, customers will value the faster access to data-based operational insights to maximise overall equipment effectiveness. The PACSystems RXi HMI, with Movicon WebHMI at its core, is IIoT-ready for data analysis, troubleshooting and diagnostics, placing the operational insights customers need at their fingertips. A data trending tool provides a clear snapshot of productivity and quality. The SQLite database tool and PAC analyser help users troubleshoot problems and minimise downtime. In addition, it provides extensive protocol support with OPC UA for better data contextualisation and MQTT for easy cloud connectivity, so the solution goes far beyond visualisation.

PACSystems RXi HMI protects against both physical and digital risks. It offers protection in wet applications with certifications for both high-pressure water jets and marine use with an IP66 water resistance rating, as well as being approved for use in a wide range of temperatures from minus 20 to 65 degrees Celsius. In addition, the device is resistant to chemicals, impact, scratches and dust. It is also designed in accordance with IEC 62443 Global Automation Cybersecurity Standards to support end users’ overall digital security strategy.

@Emerson_News @EmersonExchange @EMR_Automation @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #Machine

A fast, comprehensive overview of the plant.

The web-based visualisation software PASvisu now with Modbus/TCP interface and Secure-Client – Open for all visualisation tasks - but secure

Obtain a fast, comprehensive overview of a plant: that’s the purpose of Pilz’s web-based visualisation software PASvisu. The new version of PASvisu now also supports the Modbus/TCP protocol. The protocol enables all controllers to be connected quickly, along with other industrial components. The update also includes a secure Client/Server connection, enabling data from the PASvisu Server to be transferred safely to the user's visualisation system.

From the new version v1.10 for PASvisu, the web-based visualisation software supports not only OPC UA but also the Modbus/TCP protocol. This enables a simple exchange of process data between PASvisu and almost any control system. It is also possible to process data from different controllers simultaneously in one visualisation project.

As an open system, there is no need to change the existing automation infrastructure when using PASvisu: PASvisu can be used on existing machines with the available controllers. It can also be used via almost any end device, e.g. HMIs already integrated within the machine, external PCs or tablets.

“Secure-Client” ensures greater security during data exchange.  The “secure” Client/Server connection is also new. All data traffic between PASvisu Clients, Builder and the Server is now fully encrypted. At the same time user authentication has been increased: only authenticated Clients can log in to the PASvisu Server. That prevents manipulations and guarantees secure data transfer within the overall visualisation project.

@Pilz_INT #PAuto #Modbus

Data analysis, visualization and report generation.

There is little doubt that the automotive industry leads the world in innovation. Crash tests, road tests, NVH analyses and engine test benches are all applications that create large amounts of data. The Kistler jBEAM software is designed specifically to provide an efficient and easy to use system for the analysis, visualization and report generation of large amounts of data. The jBEAM stand-alone, platform independent, multilingual system delivers better and faster analysis of the data and easy to interpret presentation using extensive visualization tools.

The Kistler JBEAM solution presents a highly flexible system that can be configured to precisely meet the demands of diverse applications. Intelligent data analysis recognizes patterns and identifies relationships with data evaluation tailored to specific measurement needs. System flexibility allows the creation of individual user interfaces and reports with scaling to maintain computing capacities in line with demand and requirements. Networking delivers globally managed measurement data whilst the special MDFS file system guarantees data integrity.

Kistler is well known for manufacturing precision sensors but delivering measurement data with the highest accuracy is only part of the story; data analysis of the same quality is essential to make the data useful. Whatever the reason for data collection, jBEAM interactively analyses the data quickly and efficiently and saves time by automatically creating reports in a wide range of standard file formats.

A complete system from day one but over time, as new features are implemented in response to user feedback and application requirements, jBEAM will evolve to meet the developing needs of the automobile industry.

#Kistler #Automotive #TandM

Working with large datasets - Webinars.

A significantly improved user experience working with large datasets is among important new features introduced with the new version 2.8 of C Visual Explorer (CVE) from Process Plant Computing Limited (PPCL).

A series of global webinars on 24 October will give process and control engineers the opportunity to interrogate the new features and learn about benefits specific to their own applications.

CVE is a unique process visualization tool that allows engineers to display hundreds of thousands of measurements across hundreds of variables, allowing them to interrogate historical process and laboratory data. CVE allows users to easily explore operating windows and operating envelopes based on their domain knowledge and without the need for deep understanding of higher mathematics.

Predictive Analytics is a time-consuming method which requires a data scientist to interpret the results, and which provides generalized answers through simplifications which can destroy much of the richness of the data. By contrast, Geometric Process Control (GPC) – a technology developed at PPCL – avoids these pitfalls.

By providing engineers with graphical tools to work with datasets spanning their entire plant, it allows them to create low-cost predictive models, without equations, to develop new process understanding quickly and easily.

Times 24 October webinar registration is open now. Choose from four time slots which are suitable for users in all parts of the world: 06.00 (British time), 09.00, 14.00 or 21.00.

The 24 October webinars will explain how to approach big datasets and explore them visually, using operating envelopes and finding interactions between variables.

GPC allows engineers to fully explore their data and make discoveries that they can’t now. It covers the entire process from incoming analysis through processing conditions to final quality variables, KPIs and performance variables.

Engineers have been using the basic features of CVE for many years to work more efficiently with their plant data. It allows faster and easier management of key areas including alarm rationalization, process optimization and plant troubleshooting as well as building and evaluating real-time operating envelope models from C Process Modeller (CPM), PPCL’s online real-time process monitoring and event prediction product.

The new features introduced with CVE 2.8 represent advances in three key areas: improved user experience working with large datasets; across the board display improvements; and new options for alarm-based variables. These will be demonstrated in real time during the October webinars, starting with analysis of a process with 750 variables over a year at 10-minute intervals.

For improved working with large datasets, network versions now use a 64-bit executable, effectively allowing datasets limited only by the computer’s memory. Datasets in excess of 200 million values (product of variables and time points) have been routinely used on typical desktop machines during the development of version 2.8. To help users work with these large datasets, many common tasks have been simplified or automated, including bulk file join and append and bulk creation of function variables. Variable names can be colored, allowing classes of variables to be defined, for instance-controlled variables, valve positions, or even definition by unit.

Display improvements include normalization options on distribution plots, which allow much easier comparison of populations within the operation. More query colors are also now included, along with the ability to visually remove background data without using focus, as well as many new plot options, including cumulative distributions.

New options for alarm-based variables (alarm count and annunciation rate) now allow direct comparison of alarm performance across different modes of operation, in addition to the existing capability of comparing different alarm sets. For the user the benefit is much quicker evaluation of existing and proposed alarm limits across the range of plant operation. Summary statistics, such as total alarms and clean board rate, are always displayed.

A pre-processing filter has also been added to read the output from the online monitoring tool, C Process Modeller (CPM). This makes it much quicker and easier to analyze replay results and evaluate model performance.

New licencing options make CVE more easily affordable for geographically dispersed organizations.

@ppcl_news  #PAuto #Training

Visual analytics application upgraded!

The 7th release of Seeq software in just the past 18 months has been announced. This has been driven by input from customers expanding their use of the Seeq visual analytics application for engineers and scientists in process manufacturing organisations. It enables them to rapidly wrangle, investigate, and share insights on production data. Target markets include oil & gas, pharmaceutical, chemical, energy, mining, food and beverage, and other process industries.

“We are very happy to welcome Seeq and its innovative solution for process manufacturing analytics to Microsoft Azure,” says Vasily Mlanin, Senior Program Manager, Commercial Software Engineering at Microsoft Corporation. “Seeq will be a valuable compliment to the investment of Azure customers in IoT Hub and other Azure-based services.”

R18 adds new ease-of-use features, additional flexibility in the way items are displayed in Seeq’s advanced trending interface, and a new Organizer feature to assemble the results of investigations and analytics on time series data into dynamic documents for reports and dashboards. Seeq also announces support for the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, with Seeq availability on the AppSource marketplace.

Prior to supporting Azure, Seeq was already a Microsoft partner with extensive support for Microsoft platforms and products. Seeq runs on Windows Server, supports Active Directory for user management and SQL Server for data access, and can export data to Excel, PowerPoint, and PowerBI for visualization and reporting. The new Azure support includes availability on Microsoft AppSource and support for Azure Active Directory.

“We are excited to expand Seeq to the Azure cloud to support IIoT and data aggregation scenarios for our customers,” says Steve Sliwa, CEO and co-founder of Seeq Corporation. “The combination of investigation and publishing features, for on-premise and cloud deployments, is the next step in our effort to redefine the creation of actionable intelligence from process data."

The new Seeq Organizer module builds on the investigation and analytics in Seeq Workbench, enabling Seeq visualizations from any worksheet to be inserted into a document dynamically generated for any time range and/or operating condition. These documents can serve as the basis for weekly/monthly reports, daily standup meetings, operating period comparisons, batch summaries, incident analyses, and many other scenarios. Insights from process engineers can be quickly accessed via these documents by operators, analysts, managers, and other plant employees.

Seeq’s recent partnering announcements with Inductive Automation, Honeywell, Schneider Electric, OSIsoft—along with support for all the leading historians—make it the most widely accessible and extensively used visual analytics solution among process manufacturing companies. Other supported historians include GE Proficy, AspenTech IP21, Emerson DeltaV Continuous Historian, Ovation DCS Historian, and WonderWare Historian.

“Seeq continues to push the envelope of modern analytics for process manufacturing companies,” says Janice Abel, Principal Analyst at ARC Advisory Group. “To the best of our knowledge, the addition of the Organizer functionality to the company's existing work with Journals for knowledge capture, on top of its visual analytics features, sets Seeq apart from any other offering in this space."

Visualisation made easy!

Fully integrated: scalable HMIs part of the Kollmorgen Automation Suite

Kollmorgen is extending its automation portfolio with new HMIs. The type AKI panels are available in three performance classes with 16:9 screens sized between 4’’ and 21’’. From a price and performance point of view, the essential differences between the AKI-A, AKI-B and AKI-C are definition, processing power and the variety of connection and communications possibilities.

HMIs are fully integrated without further interface
in the automation and motion control system. 

Since the Kollmorgen Visualization Builder 2.0 is also fully integrated into the Kollmorgen Automation Suite 2.7, machine and plant manufacturers can utilise all the advantages of a fully-harmonised automation and motion-control-system.

With their ARM9 processor, the type AKI-A HMIs are tailored to standard applications in which display screens with between four- and ten-inch diagonals and a limited connectivity are adequate. The functionally more advanced AKI-B panels cover screen sizes of 7, 12 and 15 inches. The powder-coated units with their Atom processors offer improved processing power in combination with expanded connections for serial communication and audio as well as USB and Ethernet. The AKI-C class covers flexible HMIs having screen sizes between 12 and 21 inches and a fully-fledged industrial PC with i7 four-core processors.

All of the AKI family members are seamlessly connected as an open platform into the Kollmorgen Automation Suite, which speeds up the development of automation and visualisation solutions without interposed interfaces. Front side the displays achieve IP65 standard and due to the smooth design of the units, they may be used in hygienically-demanding environments in the packaging, foodstuffs and drinks sectors.

SCADA Visualization App!

InduSoft has launched an InduSoft Visualization App for Windows 8 and Windows RT, Microsoft’s highly-anticipated new version of its Windows operating system.

As the first SCADA/HMI app designed specifically for Windows 8, the InduSoft Visualization App offers mobile access to your InduSoft Web Studio application on Windows 8 devices. This application allows you to develop attractive interfaces with easily customizable widgets that display alarms and trend history in an easy-to-read format.

“InduSoft is excited to launch the Visualization App for The Windows Store,” said Lourenço Teodoro, Vice President of engineering at InduSoft. “We feel confident that the beautiful, new design, cloud connectivity, great hardware and solid foundation of Windows 8 will provide a great experience with the InduSoft Visualization App, and we are glad to be leading the frontline of the SCADA/HMI world.”

The InduSoft Visualization App was created specifically for the Windows 8 app store, and is designed to work seamlessly with Windows 8 devices. This app allows mobile access to InduSoft Web Studio applications, and allows users to have critical information always at their fingertips. Being able to view alarms, alarm history, process values, trends, and historical data means that users have all the information they need to make important decisions wherever they are.

“Microsoft app developers have always provided rich software experiences and value for our shared customers,” said John Richards, Senior Director, Windows Business Development. “Windows 8 offers a no-compromise experience across PCs, laptops, and tablets, enabling our app developers to deliver innovative software.”

"It is an exciting time" stated Mike Bradshaw, Director at AdProSys, distributors and support team for the comapny in Ireland and Britain, "InduSoft Web Studio was already a fantastic product with excellent web and thin client offerings. The launch of the Visualisation Manager app for Windows 8 confirms our place in this market and provides our existing and future customers with an exceptional toolset on which to build their next generation operator and management information systems".

Industrial software in 3D!

The Siemens Industry Automation Division has now acquired a number of software companies and, in so doing, has consolidated its leading position in the industrial software market.

The latest expansion is the acquisition of VRcontext, Brussels, (B). The announcement was made at the Digital Plant Congress in Würzburg,(D). With its Walkinside product family, VRcontext is one of the leading developers of 3D visualization and training software for displaying complex engineering data in the shipbuilding and plant construction industries. This acquisition will help Siemens to further strengthen its established position in the industrial software market. The parties agreed not to disclose details of the purchase price.

VRcontext was founded in the year 2000 and is represented around the world by numerous strategic partners, dealer networks and a branch office in Houston, Texas, USA. Walkinside 3D visualization software is currently in use in plant operation, maintenance and servicing in more than 200 companies in over 30 countries. Whatever the system used, the software directly accesses all plant information to display the current status of a plant in visually appealing, realistic 3D graphics. VRcontext has specialized particularly in remote offshore installations for the oil and gas industry.

With Walkinside, the company has created a globally accepted standard for 3D visualization in the process industry. "The integration of the Walkinside 3D visualization and training software of our long-standing partner VRcontext into our industrial software portfolio will benefit our customers significantly. Using intelligent 3D models can make plant engineering and operation safer and more efficient in many sectors of the industry," said Eckard Eberle, CEO of the Siemens Industrial Automation Systems Business Unit, to which VRcontext will be assigned.

Walkinside will be the perfect supplement for Comos, the Siemens software solution for holistic plant management, in providing fast access to 3D engineering data from the basic and detail engineering phases. A standard interface links Comos bidirectionally with Walkinside. The geometric elements from a virtual reality model are linked to the latest plant information throughout  the entire plant lifecycle. Highly complex plant models can thus be represented realistically in three dimensions, with Comos acting as a global data center. As a result, up-to-date plant data is always available as a 3D model in all lifecycles and can be used not only for engineering and monitoring purposes, but also for operation and training. Service and maintenance work can be planned efficiently and maintenance times reduced.