Nov 13, 2017
HMI to Go
With mobile devices from ecom instruments GmbH and stationary HMI solutions, Pepperl+Fuchs is now making end-to-end process visualization and control possible virtually anywhere in hazardous environments—opening up more process applications to Industry 4.0.
Smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices have become our constant companions. Whether in the private or professional sphere, the ability to communicate digitally with the entire world, anytime and anywhere, creates countless advantages.
“Even around hazardous machinery and plants, there is demand for the ability to take advantage of the benefits of mobile digital devices,” confirms Roolf Wessels, Head of the Human Machine Interfaces Business Unit at Pepperl+Fuchs and now also Managing Director of Mobile Safety & HMI at ecom instruments GmbH which Pepperl+Fuchs acquired at the beginning of the year.
The explosion-proof Android tablet―Tab-Ex 01―makes mobile applications possible.
Explosion-proof Windows tablet PC Pad-Ex 01, also available with docking station.
The new generation of explosion-proof mobile phones―Ex cell phone 09.
Explosion-proof smartphone Smart-Ex 01 for use as augmented reality camera in hazardous area applications.
Explosion-proof hand scanner and hand-held devices―Ident-Ex 01―completing the portfolio.
Opening the Door to Industry 4.0
For over 30 years, ecom instruments, with headquarters in Assamstadt in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, has been a pioneer and world market leader in mobile industrial equipment for hazardous areas: “We were the first manufacturer in the world to introduce to the market explosion-protected 4G mobile phones, smartphones, and tablets, among other things,” says Christian Uhl, Vice President of Marketing at ecom instruments.
Today, the global company is known for its robust and sophisticated solutions for mobile computing and communication—which made it the perfect partner for Pepperl+Fuchs: “This is an ideal addition to our own portfolio for process visualization and control,” explains Wessels. “We can pool expertise and offer our customers mobile and stationary operating devices for use in hazardous areas from a single source. In doing so, we are creating comprehensive, future-oriented solutions while opening the door for process automation to Industry 4.0.”
The mobile worker concept: mobile control and monitoring
Digital System Solutions for All Scenarios
The key to new, more flexible applications lies in the synergy between stationary remote monitors from Pepperl+Fuchs and mobile devices from ecom instruments. “It is an enormous benefit to customers that we can leverage our broad portfolio of technologies and interfaces to meet a wide range of industry demands, for instance when it comes to monitoring and control. Stationary terminals from Pepperl+Fuchs bring thin-client technology and sophisticated remote monitoring mechanisms into process plants. We complement this with mobile devices which make all the benefits of technologies such as 4G, Bluetooth, or GPS available in hazardous areas,” explains Uhl. “Our product lines offer the user the same ‘look and feel’ in hardware and operation, allowing seamless integration into the digital network of the overall system. The functionality of the terminals, smartphones, and tablets can be used fully. And customers receive a complete solution from a single vendor—with absolutely no risks in terms of compatibility or availability.”
Explosion-proof smartphones and tablets roll off the assembly line in Assamstadt, Germany.
“Mobile Worker” Puts HMI System Concepts in Motion
ecom instruments developed the “mobile worker” concept for its digital mobile computing and communications solutions that are now joining the Pepperl+Fuchs portfolio. “It bundles explosion-protected smartphones and tablets, peripheral hardware such as headsets and docking stations, as well as intelligent software, applications, and service packages into comprehensive solutions for a variety of situations where flexibility is required,” says Uhl.
Typical applications include data collection for incoming goods, mobile control and monitoring, and the identification and verification of raw materials and formulas in storage and production. Providing work instructions to employees in the field or decentralized access to production data and process procedures are also part of the mobile worker concept. This all points to the digital future of process automation—people, processes, and systems will tap into networks to discover new dimensions of industrial value, in hazardous areas and beyond. “With Industry 4.0 in mind, we can now map and establish comprehensive and efficient condition monitoring through stationary clients and mobile devices,” says Wessels. “So the world of HMI is in motion, in every way.”
