HMI Platforms Evolve to Become Key Automation Solution Components

The worldwide human machine interface (HMI) platform market continues to evolve to meet the needs of both discrete and process manufacturers and the OEMs that serve these markets. Rather than being just a standalone component, the HMI device is evolving into a platform that helps solve manufacturing problems to improve business performance. Furthermore, users are turning to open systems and commercial-off-the-shelf technologies to meet their increasing demands for high performance, ease of use, and lower total cost of ownership.

Although technological advancement will continue to be an important factor, the focus of manufacturers, processors, and OEMs has moved toward seeking solutions that help them manage their manufacturing operations while dealing with the reality of having to pare back their in-house capability to engineer and support automation systems. In addition, global competitive pressures require users to increase integration of automation with other enterprise applications. Suppliers have responded to these requirements by providing HMI platforms that use object-based technologies and provide Internet access to move their solutions from standalone, application-specific platforms to become a key component of an automation solutions portfolio.

Market Drivers
Increasingly, HMI platforms help users visualize key metrics and KPIs, such as overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and energy savings, to help them quantify the benefits of their automation investments. These users are all too aware of global competition and escalating energy costs, as well as the need for automation equipment that can help them achieve more flexible production while reducing environmental impacts. However, users must go through a business justification process before they can replace their existing, less-efficient equipment. This business justification requires clear metrics regarding the return on investment (ROI) and return on assets (ROA) of each purchase. Increasingly, they use their new HMI platforms as the digital dashboard to visualize and quantify these metrics.

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