An active panel: New Wonderware computers make production management fast and easy
By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 10/18/2007 6:00:00 AM
Wonderware introduced a new set of industrial computers that promises to make it easier for plant personnel to monitor and manage production equipment—whether they are working on a single machine or overseeing production operations across an enterprise.
The Wonderware Compact Panels can serve as the entry point to the latest integrated and scalable Wonderware HMI and SCADA software solutions. They also can be used to manage equipment and systems built by multiple vendors.
Wonderware bills the panels as an ideal alternative to stand-alone, proprietary operator interface panels. The panels combine robust hardware with powerful Wonderware HMI software to provide a comprehensive solution for supervising and managing industrial and manufacturing operations.
The new panels come bundled with a subset of the latest HMI run-time functionality from Wonderware’s InTouch 10.0 software package. The computers also have rugged, industrial touch-screen operator panels running Microsoft Windows CE v6.0 software. The panels are offered in a range of screen sizes, and are manufactured to comply with various industrial environment ratings including NEMA 4X/IP 66 and Class 1, Div. 2.
In contrast to proprietary operator interface panels, Wonderware Compact Panels enable customers to benefit from a common visualization strategy—from the smallest devices to a network of servers or hundreds of clients all operating and managed with a common, easy-to-use Wonderware software tool set.
"The Wonderware Compact Panels include a bundled package of hardware and run-time software, which is ready to use right out of the box," says Phil Couling, Wonderware marketing program manager for supervisory HMI. "These computers will enable engineers to save time by creating applications in only one development environment instead of using multiple proprietary operator interface products. Additionally, the compact panels are designed to lower training time and improve HMI familiarity and accuracy through the use of one common user-friendly interface."
