How Smart Human Machine Interfaces Reduce Costs and Increase Efficiency

GUANGZHOU, China - April 2, 2017 - PRLog -- HMIs have ranged in complexity through their existence, from the beginnings of the batch interface with punched cards in 1945 to the keypads and monitors, touchpads and operating panels of today.

However, new technology has introduced new challenges and opportunities in design and manufacturability.
Smart HMIs use these advancements to help improve how workers interact with their machines.
What Makes a "Smart" HMI
What makes a smart HMI comes down to reducing complexity of the design, increasing ease-of-use for operators and connecting the HMI itself to digital and online platforms such as Bluetooth and the Cloud.

HMIs often vary in purpose, as well as design, between applications. These applications could include:

• Consumer products
• Medical devices
• Industrial machines
• Military devices
• Transportation vehicles, from cars to planes

To meet these applications, HMIs come in three different forms, which include custom designed HMI platforms, open HMI platforms and ruggedized HMIs.

Custom designed HMI platforms are typically used by companies requiring proprietary hardware and software, such as for military and medical applications. Custom solutions demand higher development costs, but can have a reduced piece price at the production level, lowering overall cost with larger production quantities.
Building the Smart HMI – Capacitive Touch Membrane Technology
As Smart technology in the consumer electronics world continues to lead the way, engineers are getting used to smaller devices that offer more functionality.
• Sleek Appearance
• Greater Durability
• Easier Maintenance
• Flexible Customization
• Light Touch Activation
• Scroll and Slider Designs
• Multi Touch Capabilities
• Curved Interface Design
• Flexibility in Functions and Communication Interfaces
• Backlighting Options

Capacitive touch membrane technology eliminates moving mechanical components from the design, which helps extend the life of the product.

The overlay material can be glass, acrylic, polyester or polycarbonate, with the perimeter sealed to keep moisture, dust and other contaminants away from the membrane.
Building the Smart HMI – Light Guide Film Technology
For applications that still require tactile keys with backlit artwork, light guide film is your best friend.
Building the Smart HMI – Interface Software and Firmware Development
Design and programming of the interface software, as well as firmware development, is essential to the Smart HMI; what good is a body without a brain?
• Data Storage
• Language Customization
• Firm Update Capabilities

Software and firmware for HMIs can even be personalized for customers.

Applications that could benefit from hardware upgrades can have their HMIs roll out with that hardware already part of the system at a low cost, ready and waiting to be activated with the appropriate update.

"We can put low cost touch screens in low cost applications, but not necessarily use the touchscreen when we roll it out," explained McMahon. "Because the touchscreen is there, when the customer is ready for that, we can do the upgrade without changing hardware. The cost isn't really that much different, so it's worth putting in that functionality even though it won't be used for a little while."

Working with Epec Engineering Technologies
When looking to design your own Smart HMI, regardless of the application, it's important to know what exactly you or your customers will need.

It's key to present all your mechanical and electrical requirements to create a full scope of the work, so your HMI designer knows what they're getting into.

Without a clear idea or game plan, your time to market can only extend, as your HMI designers work backward to find what you need before they work forward to completion.

"We're working with a company right now who makes a medical device and we've made 5,000 units with them over the years," McMahon said. "They wanted to have capacitive touch and we explained it to them over two weeks and they still didn't get it. We went ahead and manufactured a prototype overlay, gave it to them and then they had that 'aha!' moment, where they said that's exactly what they wanted. We sometimes have to take a step backwards, build the front of it first and let them experience it before going through with roughs and designs and showing them how it would work on their equipment."

Prototypes for HMIs are now often done use 3D printing at Epec, due to the low cost of 3D-printed enclosures and the speed in which they can be put together with PCBs and capacitive touch overlays.

"3D printing allows us to move relatively quickly, versus the old way to make a piece of plastic and waiting weeks to get the tool done," McMahon commented.

McMahon's team at Epec are able to go from design to prototype and product in six to eight weeks.

"Our job is to be able to move really quickly to help our customers get to market faster," he said. "Because we have such a library of designs built over the years, it allows us to move a lot quicker – we're not starting from scratch every time we're building something. We're taking what we learned from previous designs to help us move quicker to get them to market."

For more information about Smart HMIs, visit the Epec Engineering Technologies website. If you are ready to incorporate these technologies into your current design, you can request a free quote here.

Visit http://panasonic-plc.com/panasonic-hmi/ for details