HMIs provide cost-effective networking

A new production management system designed and installed by Fern Engineering Systems for a major UK manufacturer of automotive parts uses 71 Pro-face GP2300L HMIs.

A new production management system designed and installed by Fern Engineering Systems for a major UK manufacturer of automotive parts uses an Ethernet network to provide substantial savings in production time, and the ability to see production problems as they occur, in real time.

Central to the new system are 71 Pro-face GP2300L HMIs, all of which have Ethernet interfaces as standard.

These units provided a simpler and more cost effective method of achieving the factory-wide network than the alternative of equipping existing cell control PLCs with Ethernet modules.

The system installed by Fern Engineering Systems employs 71 automated weld cells, running 24 hours a day, 5.5 days a week.

Each cell is controlled by a PLC and integrates a Pro-face GP2300L HMI to provide Ethernet communications, and also hands-on operator facilities for calling up component parts and maintenance or engineering assistance.

In each of the automated cells, Pro-face's Pro-Server software is used to collect data from the PLC/HMI via the Ethernet network.

The data are passed to Fern Engineering System's production display, for creation of the necessary reports, and display and updating of production information.

They are also sent to five strategically positioned PCs, which display individual cell performance in real time.

The Fern software in the production display counts the number of parts manufactured in each cell against the production planner's manufacturing plan for the day and displays the data.

The production planner's manufacturing plan is also contained on an Excel spreadsheet, which is updated once per day with data from the production display.

The efficiency of this system with its automatic production of manufacturing figures offers a number of major benefits including: approximately 5min extra production time is available each hour, because time sheets do not have to be filled in; accuracy of the figures - the cell only records what has actually been manufactured; real-time cell production performance display - the cell production performance is updated each time a component is manufactured; the resultant data are displayed on the production controller's PC and on the HMI in each individual cell.

This allows production problems to be addressed as they happen, as opposed to 24 hours later.

In addition to these production benefits, the introduction of Ethernet to the manufacturing facility provides improved data handling - any changes in production data can be made from the control room PC - and also comprehensive plant wide data collection and monitoring.

The latter facility is courtesy of the Pro-face GP2300L HMIs integrated into each cell.

With their Ethernet connectivity they enable all the machines on the shop floor to be connected together to collect and exchange data.

Fern Engineering chose the Pro-face HMIs as the modules for the Ethernet system following a system appraisal.

The initial proposal was that Ethernet modules be added to the existing PLCs in the automated cells.

However, this procedure would have entailed considerable downtime while each module was fitted, and the program of its control PLC modified.

Clearly, the costs of going down this route were unacceptable, so another method for achieving the installation using HMIs was considered.

Driving this solution was the fact that the existing control setup in the cells already included older Pro-face GP370L HMIs.

Crucially, these units not only had the same panel cutout and connections as the latest GP2300L's, but they could also down load the existing HMI application into the new, seamlessly, without the need for conversion.

Added to these benefits was the fact that the Ethernet cable could be laid while production was still running; and replacing the HMI took less than 20min, so several installations could be completed in one day.

In addition to their communications role, the Proface HMIs also provide an important "hands-on" function, enabling the operator to call for component parts, maintenance assistance or engineering assistance (robotics engineer).

The operator simply chooses the appropriate assistance required and presses the button on the touch screen.

This activates an audio file that plays over the Tannoy system: it first identifies the appropriate discipline required by playing a signature tune for three seconds, and then confirms the discipline by annunciating it and finally states the production cells number.

When an engineer arrives at a cell he or she puts his or her own ID into the HMI screen, taking ownership of the cell.

The nonproductive time accrued while the engineer is logged onto the cell is recorded and allocated to the appropriate department.

The ownership of the cell returns to production when either the engineer logs out of the cell or a production operator logs onto the cell.

This recording procedure enables accurate appropriation of machine downtime and response times to facilitate the production of accurate reports of the cell's nonproductive periods.

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