In a rapidly changing industrial landscape, manufacturing companies and utilities need to embrace a modern HMI/SCADA solution to keep up with the pace of change, meet growing operational challenges and remain competitive. The software HMI / SCADA is a technology solution that operates industrial plants around the world, helping operators make critical decisions to operate machinery.
Operators using a latest generation (and high performance) SCADA can spend less time in front of the screen, find critical data faster and increase productivity.
Technological innovations are reshaping the industrial landscape. These technological breakthroughs include increasingly cost-effective sensors, a high-speed telecommunication infrastructure that can move massive amounts of data, unprecedented computing power, touch and mobile interfaces, and an open, standards-based ecosystem for interoperability. This ecosystem also includes web-based technologies, connectivity APIs, machine learning, and industrial AI.
Industrial and manufacturing companies are also facing high retirement rates of older workers who have deep knowledge and expertise. These individuals are replaced by younger workers who do not have the same knowledge, but are digital natives with skills and experience with mobile devices and web-based technologies: therefore, a great challenge, namely that of transmitting the knowledge of a process (often "dated ”) to a new generation of highly skilled operators on the most modern technologies.
Today, therefore, technology providers in the automation ecosystem have the challenge and the opportunity to help industrial companies cope with these changes and achieve the desired results. The starting point, the basis of this process for many companies is the implementation of a modern HMI/SCADA software solution.
What is an HMI / SCADA?
An HMI/SCADA is a control technology that uses networked data (provided by PLCs and field sensors) to provide operators with a graphical interface that allows them to monitor the performance of machines and systems, as well as issue commands and settings that pertain to the process. This can be done from the screen of a traditional PC, from a mobile device or from any device connected to the control network through a web browser.
HMI/SCADA 4.0 allows operators to improve real-time situational awareness, visualization mobility and have greater control of field equipment (providing a centralized view of operations): direct connection with historians also increases knowledge about the behavior (and performance) of machines and systems over time.
How does HMI / SCADA work?
The HMI/SCADA collects data from Remote Terminal Units (RTUs), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), and other control devices such as flow meters and temperature controllers. This data is presented to an operator using a human machine interface (HMI). The HMI allows the operator to see what is happening in the plant in real time, including custom mimics, alarms, trends,
etc.
The HMI/SCADA can also be connected to other technologies, such as a data history to allow the analysis of historical trends and other functionalities related to the world of analytics. In effect, the foundation begins with acquiring industrial data, combining it with other relevant data sources for context, and managing process history. It is the data, transformed into information, which provides the basic indications for obtaining significant results.
Modern HMI/SCADA, including data history and centralized visualization technologies, allow users to unlock the value of their data. The result is a highly productive development and visualization environment that enables streamlined plant operations supported by faster development, better operational performance (OEE), lower costs, a shift in mindset among employees, and a culture company more devoted to continuous improvement.
The industrial landscape
The modern HMI/SCADA allows new operators to be guided in managing the plant by having access to all the necessary information, even on the move or in a remote monitoring situation. Welcome to the modern HMI/SCADA system, where machines, data, insights and people are connected.
The advent of connectivity has brought about incredible opportunities for the industry. Today, industrial machines and equipment are seamlessly connected to create and share vast amounts of data. HMI and SCADA solutions allow them to precisely monitor, control and visualize every aspect of their operations in a centralized way. With a quick glance, operators will know the fundamentals and what are the right actions to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
HMI/SCADA 4.0 provides faster response for operators and faster software development for engineers.
- 40% faster development
- 35% improvement in alarm resolution
- 80% less time browsing
- 40% faster in identifying critical data
Use cases: HMI / SCADA in action
With the increased visibility that HMI/SCADA offers, there are many applications for its use. Industrial processes such as those in power generation or generation, infrastructure processes such as water treatment or oil and gas pipelines, and facility processes such as those that control heating and ventilation are all good uses for HMI/SCADA .
Subaru it is America's fastest growing automaker. They leverage their HMI/SCADA solution to give them real-time data visibility across the plant, which has led to significant improvements in uptime and efficiency. By expanding their use throughout the supply chain, Subaru is continuing to multiply the impact of their use of HMI/SCADA.
La City of Haverhill Water Division provides clean water to 58.000 residents and businesses and produces an average of two billion gallons of water each year. The water system is manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure delivery of the highest quality water. What began as manually documented processes have been transformed into a much more efficient software-based mobile operation powered by HMI/SCADA. This has given the plant much more flexibility, as the team is able to see everything that is happening at the plant from a remote location and be alerted to changes in water operations without having to call on human capital. Additionally, they have seen large efficiency gains and immense performance improvement over their documented processes.
copersucar, Brazil's largest exporter of sugar and ethanol, is redesigning its processes, reformulating its operation and easing decision-making to keep its operations modern and efficient. For the company's products to reach customers in more countries, a complex logistics infrastructure is required, complemented by own and contracted shipping and warehousing terminals, as well as an extensive outsourced road, rail and sea transportation network. With automation technology and historical data collection and systems integration, teams have used their time more efficiently. Terminal operators were able to focus on ensuring operational efficiency, instead of spending their time collecting and analyzing manual data as previously required. Operators now work in a much more organized and logical physical and operational environment. This increases productivity and operational safety.
In today's connected industry, HMI/SCADA is just one of many industrial technologies that add value and enhance industrial capabilities. With HMI/SCADA, industrial companies can precisely monitor, control and visualize every aspect of their operations for intelligent control. I invite you to learn more about the high performance HMI/SCADA technology of iFIX and CIMPLICITY HMI/SCADA, part of the Proficy portfolio. With a quick glance, operators know what's important and the right actions to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
Source: Everything You Need to Know about HMI / SCADA
