HMI at SPS: Rexroth’s scalable HMI solutions, Siemens HMI award

SPS Electric Automation America Show, held in May in Chicago, formed the setting for a variety of electric automation technologies.

By Control Engineering Staff June 9, 2005

Scalable HMI solutions from Bosch Rexroth range from compact terminals to PC-based interfaces.

SPS Electric Automation America Show, held in May in Chicago, formed the setting for a variety of electric automation technologies. Among highlights were the display of the latest HMI products from the Electric Drives and Controls technology group of Bosch Rexroth and a Frost & Sullivan HMI award for Siemens Energy & Automation .

IndraControl VCP Series of compact HMIs from Bosch Rexroth comes with various hardware options and screen sizes, from 3-in. monochrome displays to 5.7-in. color touchscreens. A variety of interfaces, including serial, Ethernet, Profibus, Interbus, and DeviceNet, provide flexibility and open connectivity. Programming is done with VI-Composer, Rexroth’s Microsoft Windows-based software.

Frost & Sullivan’s Sandeep Maheshwari (left), vice president, industrial and electronic markets, presents HMI technology awards to Aubert Martin, president and CEO, Siemens Energy & Automation.

Series includes VEP-Windows CE-based HMIs, which are robust, embedded terminals based on Windows CE .Net 4.2 embedded operating system and equipped with AMD Geode processors. VSP Series of PC-based HMIs is IP65 rated for rugged environments. Products are available with various hardware options and in several screen sizes. VPP Series of extreme-duty HMIs can withstand up to 5g of vibration and 15g of shock load. VxB and VDP Series combined provides the same features as the VSP and VPP Series with the added flexibility of a separate rack-mounted PC and industrial display. A single cable connects the units.

In other HMI news, Frost & Sullivan recognized Siemens Energy & Automation for leadership in HMI technologies with two awards: Market Leadership for HMI entrepreneurial performance and Technology Leadership for exceptional infrastructures in HMI systems. The consulting firm cited Siemens Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) strategy as helping manufacturers integrate individual automation components, PLCs, and distributed I/O devices. The awards noted Siemens HMI configuration and Web-based visualization tools, including Simatic WinCC flexible.

—Jeanine Katzel, senior editor, Control Engineering, jkatzel@reedbusiness.com