By Sbo Chili, Product Manager: EcoStruxure - IDHMI & IDMST at Schneider Electric 

Automation has become synonymous with industry, whether its automotive or food and beverage, it has fundamentally changed the way these segments operate today. 

But what lies beneath?  Who or rather what are the unsung heroes of industry automation? Human Machine (HMI) and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) are two technological advancements that have become an integral part of organisations’ automation efforts. 

HMI is exactly that, software facilitating human and machine interaction which makes it a critical component of the broader scope of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and propelling the application of IIOT across multiple sectors. 

HMI software works as a communication link or platform between individuals operating machines and the system to oversee and control operations. Variants of HMI also transform data from industrial control systems into visual depictions of these systems that can be interpreted by humans for their clearer understanding and analysis. 

HMI enables employees to proficiently operate various complicated machines which in turn offer the following benefits: 

• Increased productivity. 
• Heightened employee satisfaction and morale. 
• Efficient documentation and storing of data. 
• Mobile technologies that give workers access to guidance or remote expertise wherever they may be working (inside or even outside the facility). 
• Functioning as powerful edge computers gathering and processing data in real time to support advanced processes such as predictive maintenance. 
• Powerful processing and networking capabilities which provide new levels of information to workers anywhere in the plant. 

PLC is another technology that continues to drive forward automation.  It monitors the various inputs involved in the performance of machinery and enhances it to a level that make manufacturing processes fluid and optimised. 

From a technical point of view, it is a special form of microprocessor-based controller that uses programmable memory to help store instructions and execute like logical, sequencing, timing, counting and arithmetic—to control machines and their processes.  

It contains CPU, digital I/O, analogue I/O and communication modules, which can smoothly operate in an industrial environment—conditioned to control different process parameters using the program, written in accordance with the industrial processes. 

Importantly, to match the demands of rough industrial environments, PLCs are designed to be extremely robust and sturdy, often competent enough of functioning under unfavourable conditions such as unpredictable temperatures, humidity, vibration, and noise. 

PLCs can be applied to various mechanical functions such as: 

• Cement Manufacturing. 
• The Smart Factory. 
• Virtual Modelling. 

Furthermore, many PLCs today offer embedded IIOT protocols and the encryption to provide cloud connectivity and digital service. 

IIOT is undoubtedly revolutionising how companies across several industries monitor their operations, ushering in continued advancements in automation and smart industry solutions.  At the core of these advancements are technologies such as HMI, PLC, and SCADA.