A primary goal is to harmonize the design of HMIs and to develop a consensus, especially among end users, on what the standard screens would look like and the content on each panel. Once end users complete the specification defining a specific set of HMI screens, machine builders will be able to reconfigure operator interfaces on different machines to meet the standard.
"The obvious benefit for end users, as the line is staffed with operators, is that on any given day, if someone calls in sick, someone else can cover that piece of the line," Doney said. "It's much easier for them to do that as they interact with the machine if the status of the machine looks the same as other machines on the line that they have worked on and, when a fault occurs, they are displayed in a similar manner."
On-screen machine diagnostics
A fundamental difference between process and packaging for Nestlé is that the company develops its process technology internally and therefore intimately understands and owns the intellectual property of the control code. Packaging machinery is developed by many different machine builders, and Nestlé does not want maintenance personnel accessing code that is not natively familiar.
Griffen called for machine builders to make all diagnostic and corrective actions accessible on the HMI, rather than inside the controller. He recognized that this will require a new effort from most suppliers, but he said it will add value by reducing downtime and improving efficiency.
This second element of the HMI transformation changes the way diagnostic information is displayed and will enable more parameters to be adjusted using the HMI interface. The engineering goal is for the standard to be implemented in a consistent way between different types of packaging machines with a familiar and almost identical program structure.
"What operations needs is a common look and feel so that a function, such as labeling a package, uses a set of HMI screens that are similar to the screens used to gather packages and place them in a box," said Doney. "There is a difference in the value-added steps performed as you move down the line but, for each of the process steps, an operator can walk up and the screens look the same and provide similar types of functional information. Plus when a fault occurs, the process of resolving problems is similar from unit operation to unit operation."
The PackML standard becomes an important part of the solution and provides the basis for creating a set of consistently named variables and tags. Doney said food companies generally put a lot of emphasis on their own core competence, but historically there hasn't been an emphasis on unit operations downstream from the filler. If there isn't appropriate attention on the downstream operations, an entire line can be brought to a halt due to problems with the material or machine.
It's good to see yet another step toward standardization on the factory floor. This is one more step away from hodge-podge world of plant automation. I would guess this will also give control engineers some relief from the daunting task of original programming.
It's actually amazing to me that there hasn't been a common HMI look and feel and standards prior to this kind of effort--or at least one that has any teeth. Coordinating that diversity must be a bear for organizations to manage let alone impeding worker productivity. Why has it taken so long to push standards?
HMIs are an interesting, sometimes overlooked area of focus for software/display technology improvements. Yet they play a vital part in what happens on the factory floor, and how well, and how quickly, operators can adapt to, or fix, problems in process control. It seems like improvements have been ongoing for a really long time. It's good to see that some kind of standardization is finally arriving, at least on packaging lines.
I agree it is a good thing, Ann, especially as systems are becoming increasingly complex. I would imagine this becomes a more manageable world for control engineers -- greater complexity, simpler interfaces and less original programming.
Rob, my understanding is that better, more use-friendly HMI systems are key for both control engineers and operators. There's a shift underway to put more decision-making into the hands of lower-cost operators rather than engineers, which is made possible by more automation of functions and databases that experienced engineers used to do, as you've mentioned several times. This is also being facilitated by better HMI systems.
That's a new twist I was not aware of, Ann. I didn't realize the decision making was shifting to lower-cost operators. I knew vendors were relieving plant operators of the original programming that used to be part of running a plant, but I didn't realize that meant non-engineers had their hands on the controls.
The decision-making can shift to lower-cost operators because they're making fewer decisions--and more low-level ones--as more functions get automated. This is by no means the case everywhere, but it's yet another cost-cutting trend. That's what I've heard, anyway.
I guess that shouldn't be surprising, Ann. This could be part of the trend of replacing the baby-boomer engineers at plants. As the boomers retire, I hear they are being replaced by younger workers who have less automation and control experience, but more computer experience, which is mostly appropriate given the changing nature of automation. And of course they would be lower-cost workers simply because of their youth and inexperience.
Interesting, Rob. I hadn't connected the dots between the baby boomer retiring trend and younger workers with the cost-cutting trend of using less expensive operators instead of engineers on the factory floor. I'm not sure they're the same thing. First, the engineer vs operator trend is usually described as being due to improved HMI, as we were originally discussing. Plus, isn't the first trend occurring mostly within engineering?
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