PPMA Total exhibit provides examples of user-friendly controls for today’s operators

Reduced complexity in controls should be as much of a priority as upskilling in the workforce, says Omron, with a clear focus on investing in the redesign of interfaces to help operators.

Stuart Coulton, UK and Ireland marketing manager, explained the idea in the context of Omron equipment shown at the PPMA Total Show in September, including the VHV5 high-speed code reader and the NX5 controller.

The VHV5 is available in 2.3 and 5 megapixel variants and can manage up to 4,000 scans a minute without missing any codes. Coulton pointed out that around 80% of applications require no more than three clicks to set up.

“We talk a lot about skills gaps and the need for reskilling in the workforce,” he told Machinery Update. “But the industry also needs to bring down the level of complexity in our system controls,   so we don’t need highly-trained operators as much.”

The NX5 controller can support as many as 256 axes of motion control. The automated playback feature means that, if there is a stoppage on the line, video footage can be rerun to ascertain what occurred and how to improve the process.

Sensor interfaces like those shown on the stand, as well as overall recipe changes, can be managed more easily via IO-Link and the human-machine interface (HMI). “The last thing you want is for an engineer to need to get involved,” said Coulton. “Instead, all it takes is an adjustment to the HMI.”

When it comes to greater accessibility and simplicity for operators, the investment for system suppliers is as much about time as it is about capital. “It’s about redesigning interfaces, so there can be quite a long lifecycle to that process,” he explained.

As an example of this, Coulton demonstrated photoelectric sensors set up on the stand at the PPMA Total Show. “Via the PLC, you can change parameters at the touch of a button,” he said.

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Omron United Kingdom