Smart operation and control of the Thermo-6
When process operations become more complex, the exact opposite must apply to the control system. It must provide an intuitive and smart overview and navigate the operator through all setting and function processes without much effort. With assistance where necessary and freedom where it seems plausible. This is exactly what the new control system for the Thermo-6 temperature control units from HB-Therm fulfils.
Complex processes, simply operated
Even the basic equipment is right
The new Thermo-6 is equipped with an ergonomically positioned, brilliant 7-inch IPS touchscreen and clearly displays the most important information on the process, actual values, trends, energy and maintenance right from the basic display. It is also possible to navigate back and forth between these five basic displays on the start page. This ensures that all users always have access to the latest operating data, which forms the basis for analysing and optimising the operating status. In addition, the control system also shows possible energy savings and helps with maintenance planning.
The basic display
The operation of the control unit is extremely simple and is very familiar to most users from smartphone technology. By swiping across the control screen or tapping the symbols displayed in the header of the touchscreen, the operator can access the required page. The display of the actual values provides an initial overview of the current parameters. The graphic display documents the process status quickly and clearly. Eight favourites can be selected on the control screen of the text display. These are thus the first to be set in the textual listing and provide more detailed information on the current operating process.
The trend graph allows the temperature curve and flow rate to be analysed over a certain period of time. The data is fed from the locally stored historical data.
Energy-Control
HB-Therm has always attached great importance to the sustainable and energy-efficient operation of temperature control units. With the latest software version, which is available in the HB-Therm knowledge database, Energy Control is now also available for all 6th generation temperature control units. Using the values predefined by the customer, such as electricity costs, local currency and operating hours per year, the process can no longer just be monitored, but controlled and regulated.
The "Energy Control" page displays the current pump speed, the temperature difference between the main and return and the resulting potential savings per day in the respective national currency. Colour gradations in the pie charts show whether the appliance has been set optimally or whether there is further potential for savings. The control system also allows individual settings to be made in order to find the optimum operating point for each production process. The visual display remains simple. If the user adjusts one of the variables, the other two parameters change to the same extent. The effects of the setting are therefore immediately visible, so that the desired operating mode can be adopted at the simple press of a button.
For example, reducing the temperature difference between the main and return leads to a lower pump speed, which in turn results in increased energy savings. Adjustments are always made depending on the customer or production process in order to ensure consistent product quality.
Maintenance interval display
The overview of the maintenance status is displayed in a dashboard on the last main page. Depending on the operation, it provides information about the main components in the unit.
The maintenance display makes it easier to plan service work. The status information of the individual components also supports customers in production planning and enables preventive and timely maintenance work to be carried out, which has already been minimised with the Thermo-6 temperature control unit series.
Process monitoring with automatic limit value setting
External influences can cause the process to change unnoticed and may result in unauthorised changes to the manufactured product. But what happens if such deviations are recognised in the important process parameters? These are displayed and an alarm is triggered. This allows the cause of the fault to be rectified immediately, preventing faulty production and rejects at an early stage. This ensures the highest possible process reliability.
The respective limit values can be selected manually, but can also be set automatically in the standard setting via three monitoring levels (fine, middle or rough). The limits are also clearly displayed graphically. This makes process monitoring really easy for the user.
Extensive additional monitoring functions
Of course, the extensive additional monitoring functions on the Thermo-6 temperature control units also ensure smooth production, reduced wear and contamination as well as a long service life and therefore energy and resource-saving use. These include the monitoring of hose breakage and leakage or the controlled system pressure overlay.
All common interfaces, such as OPC-UA, the CAN data interface on Gate-6 or a USB connection, ensure a high level of compatibility for data exchange and synchronisation thanks to their standard design. Also smart: the LED floor lighting for clear and widely visible signalling of the operating statuses using different colours: Green means normal operation, red signals an alarm, yellow a warning, blue pulsating a software update and white pulsating the start phase of the unit.
Simplified operation of the Thermo-6 is also possible thanks to the inclusion of additional intelligent features on the units. In addition to exporting historical data for quality assurance and for Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for production optimisation, these include an integrated help system with context-related brief information and an internet-based extended help function in the respective national language, which is activated via a QR code and leads to the HB-Therm knowledge platform "Knowledge".
The logbook function is very interesting for analysing faults and investigating fault frequencies. A clear history must be available in order to better identify the causes of faults. The Thermo-6 records the last 100 faults that have occurred. Further information can then be accessed via the QR code and the "e-cockpit" app.
Targeted development makes complex processes easy to manage
Back to the initial situation. The question that arose was how to make complex setting procedures and production processes easy to control. By allowing as many of these processes as possible to run in the background and only displaying the really important information for setters and operators on the screen as simply as possible. This is done intuitively and graphically on the Thermo-6 control unit, making it easy to understand and grasp at a glance. If additional questions arise, further information can be called up directly.
If you want even more, you can establish a direct connection between your Thermo-6 and the specialists at HB-Therm in a data-secure manner via the "Gate-6" terminal and the "e-cockpit" Android app on any mobile device. This makes controlling, analysing and supporting quick, easy and secure. So that all customers can secure the future together with HB-Therm. This is practical digitalisation in the interests of the user.
▶ Intuitive operation and Intelligently networked
