Advanced design technique of human-machine interfaces for PLC control of complex systems

Touchscreen operator panels proved to be a convenient succesor for clasical operator panels for implementing human-machine interfaces (HMIs) in programmable logic controllers (PLC) systems. The paper introduces a new technique for HMIs design in such systems, based on the idea of touchscreens replication. This redundancy allow actions which are not possible within the menus and sub-menus of a single touchscreen. Its strenght is revealed especially in complex systems, where operators can easily be overwhelmed by the huge amount of process information. The technique was applied on a mill tube rolling installation. The results also proved an increase of system security and zero downtime for HMI maintenance activities.