OEM incorporated the Web Browser feature into their program
allowing the operator to view a VideoJet printer's HTML page.
Machine Overview
An OEM machine manufacturer needed to redesign an existing machine
application adding the ability to control a VideoJet printer.
The machine is designed to weigh potato chips, package the chips
into individual bags based on volume, date stamp each bag once
filled, and box the individual bags into a case pack for shipping.
They were upgrading the machine to accommodate several enhancements
requested by their customer. A major enhancement was the use of the
VideoJet printer to print the date codes on the packaged products.
The VideoJet device has many options that allow the operator to
control several aspects of its operation. The OEM's challenge was to
find a simple way to incorporate all these printer features into
their existing packaging machine design.
Project Challenges and Requirements
-
The OEM was looking for a control product that would act as the
touch screen for the end user, control the physical equipment,
and communicate with their current PLC.
-
They needed to give their operators access to the controls on
the printer from their existing touchscreen design.
-
Wanted a color touch screen to make the interface more
attractive.
-
Needed the touch screen controller to be low-cost to keep
overall cost of goods down so final price of machine was
attractive to the end customer.
-
Allow the user to operate different machine languages and/or
modes such as Manual Mode, continuous operation, and programmed
sequences such as alternating between short-piece, long-piece,
short-piece, or other custom sequences.
- Show alarms on screen if mechanical equipment had issues.
Equipment Requirements
- Color Touchscreen HMI with large attractive display
- VideoJet Printer
- Allen Bradley MicroLogix DF1 PLC
Solution
Since they wanted to move to a larger HMI interface we recommended
one of our 9.7" HMIs.
A key feature of the HMI they chose was the PLC Web Browser object.
This allowed the OEM to interact with their new printer, which has a
readymade web interface built in. The operators can use the web
interface to control all the key features of the printer directly
from the HMI. Before discovering this feature, the customer was
contemplating having to spend engineering time to manually recreate
the printer's web screens in the HMI program, not to mention using a
custom command language to send ASCII commands to the printer when
the operator wanted to change something. However, with the PLC Web
Browser object, this task was as simple as placing a PLC Web Browser
object on a new printer screen in the HMI project, pointing the
browser object in the project to the printer's IP address, and
downloading the modified project from the printer.
What could have been a month-long engineering effort was
accomplished in a matter of minutes. And the operator gets the exact
experience that the printer supplier intended. Additionally, many of
our HMIs come with OPC UA which allowed the HMI to connect to the
SCADA software, sending alerts and other information.
The OEM downloaded our free HMI programming software EBPro available
in our
Support Center, and worked with our Application Engineering to validate the
functionality.
The OEM was able to program the unit on their own, but we do offer
Application Engineering
services to program the unit for you if you do not have the time or
resources. And if needed, we can program the unit and then train you
on the real program so you can make changes to the project once the
HMI is integrated with your machine.
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