Crafting Next Generation Operations with Human Machine Interfaces
In a piece for Engineering.com, Johan Bjorklund makes an interesting connection through the story of Marty Groover, a former member of the Navy. When Groover moved his career from the Navy to business, there was a major strategy that he took with him - “Combine people, processes, and technology with as little waste as possible to achieve the mission.” While he found that many companies were falling behind in fulfilling that pursuit, he realized that the further adoption of Industry 4.0 could change that with its combination of machine intelligence and the physical world. A part of that evolution is the leveraging of human-machine interfaces, including features such as augmented and virtual reality and the use of digital twins to ensure functional safety. So, considering such benefits, we are providing you with a rundown of how human-machine interfaces (HMI) support SCADA operations, the growth of the market and how they can help us reach the next phase of innovation.
HMI in the Industrial Setting
Adapting technology such as HMI is essential as a manufacturer in today’s day and age because it is an element of digital transformation and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA). As Bernard Cubizolles writes for Automation.com, “HMI/SCADA software runs industrial plants around the world, helping operators make critical decisions to run machinery.” Essentially, it provides tools that allow enhanced performance monitoring of operation-wide equipment, including remote terminal units. All of this information is then presented in real time.
The Growing HMI Market
As technological advances are increasingly integrated into the industrial sector, the HMI market is also expected to grow. According to the "Human Machine Interface Market Research" report, its value is predicted to increase from 4.9 billion USD in 2022 to 7.3 billion USD by 2027. In addition to what has already been mentioned, the report points out that this boost is likely due to the security, integration and flexibility that HMI offers. An example of an industry projected to further its investment in HMI is pharmaceutical manufacturing as well as the automotive industry.
Looking Forward
When the benefits of HMI are combined with its rising adoption, it’s clear that this technology will be an important part of operations moving forward. Even more so, HMI may actually help us beyond Industry 4.0 and guide us into Industry 5.0, where the focus is “to better perfect the human-machine interface so humans and machines could work more effectively together,” according to Mary Shacklett at TechRepublic. Suggested ways to ensure that this transition runs smoothly include identifying where such tech best suits processes, engage employees in the strategy and invest time in thorough education.
Sources
“Industry 4.0—Be Precise for Better Outcomes” - Johan Bjorklund, Engineering.com
https://www.engineering.com/story/industry-40be-precise-for-better-outcomes
“Essential HMI/SCADA Software: Increased Connection” - Bernard Cubizolles, Automation.com
https://www.automation.com/en-us/articles/november-2022/essential-hmi-scada-software-increased-connection?listname=Automation%20&%20Control%20News%20&%20Articles
“Global Human Machine Interface Market Report 2022-2027: Surging Adoption of Industrial Automation in Manufacturing Process & Increasing Emphasis on Real-Time Data Analysis and Predictive Maintenance” - Research and Markets, PR Newswire
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-human-machine-interface-market-report-2022-2027-surging-adoption-of-industrial-automation-in-manufacturing-process--increasing-emphasis-on-real-time-data-analysis-and-predictive-maintenance-301682645.html
“Industry 5.0: How the human-machine interface is gaining attention” - Mary Shacklett, TechRepublic
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/industry-5-0-human-machine-interface/