By adding Wi-Fi to their machine, this OEM improved safety and productivity
One of our customer’s has large stainless steel rolling equipment that use a legacy PLC and drives for basic control functions. They added an HMI for viewing alarm conditions and making adjustments to the parameters in the PLC and drives, but the full machine is quite large and the HMI is only at one end of the system.
The customer needed a way to quickly learn of any alarm conditions that needed attention even if operators were away from the machine.
Industry: Steel Production & Processing
Location: Alabama, USA
Company size: 10-20 people
The Problem
Operators and maintenance often must walk around the machine to troubleshoot or diagnose issues and adjust the system on the fly as it is running, and requested a way to be online with the equipment while they walked around the machine.
This solution provides the customer with an HMI to adjust system parameters and monitor the equipment, plus a wireless access point to receive alerts or connect and diagnose with their mobile device.
The Solution
Maple Systems 10.1″ HMI with optional wifi module
In this application, the HMI was mounted at the end of the machine and connected securely to the plant Ethernet network. Adding the optional wifi module created an access point for the operator’s phone or tablet. This enabled operators to log in and remotely view the system right on their phone. They can adjust parameters, clear alarms, or diagnose issues on their phone as they walk around and observe operation of the machine.
The solution provides notifications via email/SMS to operators when an alarm condition occurs and allows the operators to walk away from the machine to do other tasks – but still receive these critical notifications right on their phone/tablet if something needs attention. Operators can walk back to the equipment station or even log in remotely with their phone to respond to the issue.
Our Value Promise
Long renowned in the Industrial Automation industry for the quality of technical support we have provided for decades, Maple Systems has a reputation for connecting customers with someone who knows our products inside and out. Whether it is one of our trusted System Integrator partners, Distributors, or our own engineering team, we are happy to connect you with a knowledgeable engineer dedicated to understanding your application.
Application Engineering
In an industry where every advantage counts, collaborating with a trusted partner will get your project where you want it to be, fast.
Supported Products
Wifi Capable HMIs
When our HMI is coupled with the Wi-Fi Expansion Module, the result is a flexible connectivity solution consolidated into a single package. Sophisticated features include: MQTT, Sparkplug B, WebView, and SQL support.
Optional Wifi module
This Wi-Fi Expansion Module adds wifi connectivity capable of providing either a wifi connection or acting as a wifi Hotspot. This low-profile module combines the function of multiple devices into a single package.