HMI platform for industrial operation and monitoring
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Pepperl + Fuchs offers a comprehensive series HMI Operating systems for machines and systems in process automation, including HMIs for SPS and DCS/MES. The industrial monitors are used in the chemical industry, Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industry and oil and gas industry. On the Hannover Messe In 2022, the automation specialist will have the new, modular and highly flexible HMI operator station VisunetFLX for Atex / IECEx Zone 1/21 and Division 1.
Contents
One fits all Visunet FLX operator panel
The device series Visunet is suitable for industrial use on machines and systems in the process industry up to Atex Ex zones. For users and operators there is management software for network-based configuration, maintenance, service and support that addresses the issue of maximum flexibility in the field. Thanks to its completely modular design, the new platform, which is geared towards the needs of the (petro) chemical and pharmaceutical industries, allows HMI solutions to be configured precisely.
HMI with integrated PC or thin client for PLC and DCS / MES
04.07.2022 | 
Pepperl + Fuchs offers the HMI monitors with integrated PC or Thin Client for the different Automation Systems SPS and DCS / MES. The modern visualization of the process systems is based on two techniques, depending on the automation system used:
Is this a programmable memory steering (SPS), monitors with an integrated PC and an open operating system are ideal. Currently this is mostly Windows 10 Internet of Things (IoT). Visualization packages are installed on this, which exchange and display the data and current values with the controller via integrated digital protocols.
With the PC-based visualization of a control system for processes (DCS) or manufacturing (MONTH) today, HMIs with integrated thin clients and network connections are used. These are the only ones to support the virtualization of the process computer architecture.
The Visunet HMI components contain both technologies. These industrial monitors are available as Atex Zone 1/21 and Zone 2/22 Versions and for the industrial non-Ex production area of the process industry. There are different mechanical versions of the modular industrial monitors for the general chemical industry Visunet GXP and IND, the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry Visunet GMP and the outdoor oil and gas industry (Visunet XT) with different screen sizes.
In order to have the same functionality with Thin Client based remote monitors in the whole production plant, there are also small, industrial ones Box thin clients. Up to four digital standard monitors can be connected to them. The latest HMI generation is the BTC14 with various interface options. It has four display port interfaces and two network interfaces for redundant connections. The thin client management software Visunet CC supplements the Human Machine Interfaces device family with a modern tool for the network-based commissioning, monitoring, service and support of all Visunet thin clients in the network.
Humane machine interface for Atex, IECEX Zone 2/22
With the new modular HMI operator station VisunetFLX In spring 2021, Pepperl + Fuchs will present a comprehensive range of systems for operation and monitoring for Atex / IECEx zone 2/22. Global certification has been applied for for Division 2. Non-Ex areas are also suitable for these HMIs. The new HMI thus focuses on the greatest possible flexibility in the field.
The devices of the new Visunet FLX series are user-specific in three Basic configurations be obtained:
- HMI system: Complete HMI with various display options in full HD, combined with thin client or PC or direct monitor unit, including housing made of stainless steel in a hygienic design. Use as a stand-alone installation such as on a stand or support arm
- Panel PC: Display in various sizes in full HD, combined with thin client or PC or direct monitor unit for control panel installation
- Box PC: Stand-alone PC or thin client for direct switch cabinet Mounting
In combination with the numerous requested certifications such as Atex, IECEx, NEC500 the Visunet FLX is flexible, scalable and is based on a continuously growing platform for globally applicable HMIs. The importance is increased by the extensive partner network of Pepperl + Fuchs.
HMI for modern pharmaceutical manufacturing
06.12.2016 | An integral part of the largely automated manufacture of chemical-based drugs are Human Machine Interfaces (HMI), with which relevant data along the process can be visualized or process steps can be controlled manually. There here strict pharmaceutical regulations and explosion protection guidelines meet the most advanced production possible, these operating and monitoring systems must be able to cope with special requirements. The experts at Pepperl+Fuchs know how to do it:
The history of medicine is as old as mankind itself. What in Europe from the Middle Ages consisted largely of monastic herbalism is now taking place in a highly technical process in the 21st century, which due to its complexity brings with it a wealth of relevant data - and this volume of data continues to grow: “Due to Industry 4.0, it is also becoming increasingly important in process technology to allow decentralized access to information and control functions. Drug manufacturing is no exception. Increasingly, multi-purpose systems are being used here, which are designed for the most efficient possible production of different drugs,” explains the Business Development Manager Stefan Sittel.
Graphic HMI operator terminals for industrial automation
His colleague dr Marc Seissler, Product Portfolio Manager, adds: “Networked HMI systems are essential for sustainable, economical production in the pharmaceutical industry. At the same time, however, they also have to comply with regulations for the manufacture of medicines, the GMP guidelines (Good Manufacturing Practices) and, in some cases, explosion protection guidelines.”
Fine chemicals for drug production
If you accompany medicines on an exemplary journey through their production, you will come across operating and monitoring systems from Pepperl+Fuchs at various points that successfully solve this dilemma. The spectrum of places of use begins with the upstream suppliers from the fine chemicals sector upstream phase supply the base materials to the pharmaceutical manufacturers for drug production. In order to obtain these substances, every detail, such as the purity of the various components, the storage temperature or the pH value, must be right. This is the only way to ensure that the active ingredients are synthesized in such a way that they later achieve the desired effect.
Here is found with the Visunet GXP the automation company's latest development - a thin-client-based remote monitor that can be used to display process information and control functions. It is fully geared to the needs of fine chemicals: Its design properties make it insensitive to liquids, dirt, bacteria or aggressive cleaning processes, while the extremely lightweight and modular design allows for high flexibility in the field.
Special HMI / PLC series for food technology
In addition, the Visunet GXP is also suitable for Explosive areasthat arise in these process stages due to dust or alcohol-based cleaning agents and solvents. It reliably displays information from the control system or MES transmitted via Ethernet during batch or dosing control – directly in Atex zones 1 and 21 or 2 and 22. “Whether it is connected to conventional PC workstations and servers via the network infrastructure or is used on future-oriented, virtualized PCs and servers, is irrelevant when it comes to integration into the automation architecture. Our new Visunet RM Shell 4.1 firmware supports the latest remote services such as Microsoft RDP 8.1 or Emerson's DRDC and thus both approaches," explains Sittel.
In- and outdoor-resistant control and monitoring systems
The manufacturer has also combined its other highly specialized, Ethernet-capable operating and monitoring systems with the RM Shell 4.1 fitted. For example, one encounters the Visunet IND product family in tank farms for pharmaceutical substances. In these according to Zone 2 or Class I, Div. Basic chemicals delivered from the fine chemicals department are temporarily stored in two potentially explosive outdoor areas. Here, the filling and emptying of the tanks must be monitored and controlled. In addition, wind and weather take their toll on the equipment used.
“The Visunet IND supplies process-critical information levels and temperatures in a clear form on the display. In this way, it supports the operators of the tank farm in making decisions and creates real gains in terms of process reliability and availability. In combination with integrated identification systems from our portfolio, it can also be used to reliably identify truck drivers making deliveries and loading orders," explains Sittel.
“As outdoor solutions, remote monitors from the Visunet IND family have displays that are suitable for use in daylight and are designed to be rainproof. The temperature range in which they can be operated ranges from wintry -20° to +50°C in the summer sun", Seißler describes the design properties and leads to the software level: "The Ethernet connection of HMIs is particularly advantageous in outdoor areas. Thanks to digital Communication A consistently high image quality can be maintained between the remote monitor and the host system without the need for a similarly extensive configuration as with analog KVM systems that were common in the past. In addition, the possible transmission range via the network infrastructure is not limited as with a KVM system.”
Interaction between man and machine
During the subsequent batch-oriented production of the Intermediates, i.e. the intermediate products used for the actual drug, numerous manual entries are required on the system. Operating and monitoring systems are therefore omnipresent. The Visunet GXP is also suitable for these scenarios: In addition to an antibacterial membrane keyboard with a capacitive touchpad or optical trackball, it is equipped with a large full HD multi-touchscreen panel, which means that employees can easily operate it even when wearing protective gloves.
According to Seißler, this shows how the interaction between man and machine Industry 4.0 environments can look like: “With the GXP, the specialist staff receive an operator station that is fully tailored to the numerous manual interventions in the life sciences sector. Since RM Shell 4.1 and the additional management tool Visunet Control Center make the commissioning, administration and support of these operating stations extremely lean, there is a double gain in efficiency.”
In fact, thanks to this control center, production technicians are able to connect remotely to any Visunet Remote Monitor and thus support the plant operator - without even having to enter the sensitive production areas. This allows the monitors Set up and monitor faster and more efficiently than ever.
"The commissioning engineer switches on by session shadowing on a remote monitor in the clean room, creates a new profile on it and transmits it to any number of other monitors via the Ethernet network," Seißler gives as an example and continues: "In addition, thanks to the Visunet Control Center, any errors or faults in the connection of remote monitors to their host computer can be recognized immediately. A process engineer then supports the employee on site from a distance or, if necessary, takes over control himself via password-protected access.”
At home in clean room and GMP guidelines
If you follow the pharmaceutical process further to produce the active ingredient, the so-called Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), the frequency of hazardous areas is decreasing while caution about contamination is increasing. This caution is justified, because residues from a previous manufacturing process, dirt adhering to shoes or just a human hair could, in the worst case, render an entire batch unusable.
In such environments, pharmaceutical clean rooms are often referred to GMP Policy include, are therefore required for the interaction with the process or production control system operator stations that are particularly designed for good cleanability and chemical and mechanical robustness.
With the Visunet GMP, Pepperl+Fuchs provides a product family that was developed precisely for these operating conditions. “Easy cleanability, chemical resistance and a antibacterial keyboard make the Visunet GMP a specialist for clean room environments when manufacturing the APIs.
In order to meet the different conditions of our customers, it is available in two basic versions: as a remote monitor equipped with RM Shell 4.1 in a slim stainless steel housing with a stand or wall bracket, or as a panel-mount version for installation in pharmaceutical walls or machine control panels," Sittel explains the addition to the Visunet GXP, which is also suitable for clean rooms. He adds: "Should there be a potentially explosive atmosphere in special cases, the Visunet GMP can also be obtained in a version with certification for zones 2 and 22."
The HMI solution in the box
But also in the non-classified production areas and on the periphery of the production of active ingredients, for example in the controlling laboratories, according to Sittel, there is a high demand for information: "Anyone who is looking for a lean industrial solution for computer workstations in production or laboratory areas is well advised to use our Industrial Box Thin Client 'BTC'."
A look at the handy BTC supports his recommendation: surrounded by a metal housing, it combines the advantages of a narrow footprint without fans or hard disks with exceptional robustness against ambient temperatures of up to +60 °C.
That the Degree of protection IP41 corresponding housing also protects its inner workings from dust. “The BTC can either be used as a conventional desktop solution or is attached to a mounting wall within a housing. Without requiring a lot of installation space, a device can be mounted in the drawer of a workstation, for example, and then visualize process-relevant information on four screens in the laboratory. Information in an industrial environment can hardly be made available in a more cost- and space-saving manner,” explains Sittel.
Like the Visunet Remote Monitors, the BTC is also compatible with the preinstalled RM Shell 4.1 equipped, making it quick and easy to set up. Users who prefer other management software for thin clients can still rely on the BTC: "For the greatest possible flexibility, we also offer the BTC as an option that is compatible with the 'ACP Thinmanager', which is used particularly in large American pharmaceutical plants," emphasizes Sittel Customer focus in the development of the BTC.
Downstream the finished drug
This focus on the customer also comes into play in the final process steps in the pharmaceutical industry: once the production of the active ingredient is complete, it is not yet suitable for administration to the patient. "Here in the downstream area, further physical process steps take place, for which highly specialized machines from OEM company be used,” says Sittel, describing the connections. Accordingly, the automation specialist provides Visunet solutions in stainless steel housings, installable panel mount remote monitors for DCS/MES operation or panel PCs for the PLC connection for the machines and systems of these OEM suppliers.
This visualization systems and operator panels, which are often based on the GMP product family, are required to display information and control recipes in the subsequent complex process steps. In these stages, the carriers are removed by centrifugation, chromatography and drying and the active substance is processed further – for example by grinding it, dissolving it in liquid or applying it to the carriers by granulation and the so-called “coating”. Here the portioned medication is given its familiar form of tablet, ointment or solution before it is packed in blisters, tubes, ampoules, syringes or bags ready for dispatch.
Individually adaptable to applications
Whether the pharmaceutical manufacturer commissions Pepperl+Fuchs itself, its integrator or a machine and plant manufacturer - it is crucial that not only components, but complete GMP-compatible, functional systems are needed. Specialists are in demand who have just as much practical experience as consulting skills and engineering know-how.
Sittel cites an example: “With increasing paperless pharmaceutical production we experience on site that our customers more and more frequently have to display both MES and DCS functionalities on monitors in the field. On the one hand, this can be solved using an HMI solution with a dual display – which our Visunet GMP offers in a duplex version. At the same time, we also discussed this requirement with our software experts. They then further developed RM Shell in such a way that our customers can now quickly switch between DCS and MES on just one monitor.”
Marc Seissler summarizes: “As in the pharmacy itself, there is no universal panacea for operating and monitoring systems. The HMI systems from Pepperl+Fuchs can be very extensively adapted to individual application requirements. With the Visunet product families, the BTC, the RM Shell 4.1 and the Visunet Control Center, the modern, networked pharmaceutical production realize.”
General technical knowledge
An HMI is the term commonly used in industry in the English abbreviation for Human Machine Interface. It is used, among other things, to operate machines and systems in industry or devices and electronics in Automobile and life science area. With the HMI, the operator can interact with his counterpart and intervene in the process if necessary. The user can also monitor the status of a machine or plant and, if necessary, optimize the ongoing process. The HMI consists of the four components human, display, input field and machine.
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