Giuseppe Bettini, Emerson, explains how real-time information available at a glance is empowering operators, leading to increased efficiency, productivity and safety
To drive greater productivity, efficiency and safety, plant managers must now look to digitally empower their workforce by arming them with the tools to streamline standard operations, reduce complexity, enable improved decision-making, provide faster access to knowledge and experience, and secure on-demand access to information and expertise.
The emergence of wireless plant networks and IIoT technologies supporting the digital transformation of operations is helping to provide step change improvements. A critical part of this change is enabling greater worker mobility with access to actionable data that creates the benefits of greater productivity, improved decision-making and faster resolution of issues, contributing towards increases in overall operational efficiency.
Advanced HMI supports mobile workers
Traditionally, monitoring and control of plant, equipment and process information has seen operators working at fixed PC-based human machine interfaces (HMI) within control rooms. These displays are often supplemented by HMIs on the plant floor near a specific machine or piece of equipment. A more modern approach is to provide employees with greater mobility through durable high-performance mobile and handheld HMI technologies. Mobile devices empower workers, removing the tie to the control room and enabling operators to both maintain operations and troubleshoot issues in the field or on the plant floor.
The integration of augmented reality (AR) is redefining the human-machine interface by enhancing the user?s physical world with computer-generated content. AR is suitable for both the manufacturing and process industries, allowing operators to use technology integrated with standard HMI viewing tools to perform actions needed within various stages of the process, improving production efficiency, reducing the risk of errors and minimising production or maintenance downtime.
Adopting AR and institutionalising best practices enables workers to add more value than ever to operational and business performance. Maintenance operatives can intervene faster and perform on-the-spot maintenance using on-site guidance and solutions to issues that will ultimately reduce equipment downtime.
Augmented reality HMI
Emerson is one of the first companies to offer AR solutions for SCADA/HMI, providing workers with immediate access to a wealth of data. By means of wearable and mixed reality AR devices, operators benefit from simplified process management and real-time information relating to the equipment or process they are working on. AR is integrated into Emerson?s Movicon.NExT SCADA/HMI platform, which translates to easier, less costly implementation and a faster return on investment.
The integration of AR into SCADA/HMI platforms and the subsequent availability of actionable information via wearable and mixed reality devices offers the potential for new efficiency improvements.
See here for more on Emerson?s AR HMI/SCADA system solutions.
