HMI market is looking bright in the market. Many manufacturers are gradually launching new products. According to a recent report of IMS HMI, HMI market is expanding incredibly on the global market and is expected to reach the output of 151 million US dollars at annual rate, with CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) reaching 25.4%, of which 7.9% is the touch screen panel products and 31.7% for Open HMI.
HMI market is growing fast in recent years. According to IMS report, the global market of HMI is quickly growing. It is expected that the production output is to reach 151 million US dollars in the year 2008. The CAGR is 25.4%, of which 7.9% for touch screen monitor interface and 31.7% for Open HMI. The experts predict that with upcoming 5 to 6 years, touch screen interface and Open HMI will be the focal point of development, which encourages many IPC manufactures to launch a series of HMI products.
IPC manufacturers indicate that although the majority of HMI architectures is pessimistic-oriented, Open HMI structure that uses PC-based system such as standardized format and communication interface is able to provide calculating and processing on the PC-based platform. Manufacturers also say that the reason for Open HMI superior to traditional HMI is that Open HMI features no hardware and fanless design and provides advanced functions such as data processing and standard interface. In the foreseeable future, Open architecture and Embedded technology will be greatly used in HMI in all industries.
The current OSs that most manufacturers use for Open HMI structure support Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows XP embedded and Windows CE 5.0 but little do they support WEPOS system. As regards to the pessimistic-designed HMIs, most manufacturers, in addition to adopting IT technology, begin to expand its applications on facilities such as intelligent Building Automation and pleasure boats, which are regarded as potential development.
Fuji Electric
Fuji Electric is a giant HMI manufacturer with a long history for being a supplier. FA (Factory Automation) business and technical supervisor He, jhen-wun says that HMI used to be thought as a press-button function that has replaced PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). But in the recent years, it has changed into a programmable device which installs with different software that increases its power by powerful CPU. Today HMI is responsible for processing calculation and reduces the burden of PLC.
Recently they launch their products of TELLUS and V-Service series. Both enhance the powerful PC capabilities. TELLUS undertakes remote monitoring, using the frontline of HMI to connect PC in the factory. You can view the screen on the HMI and can also control PLC directly from PC, which enable multiple control. V-Service can retain historical records, recording every configuration setting to help the better adjustment next time.
Figure 1: He, jhen-wun, technical and business director of FA, says that HMI used to be treated simply as a button for PLC but has gradually turned into a programmable device.
Delta Electronic
Delta is one of the few manufacturers to use TFT-LCD technology to develop 16:9 widescreen and 65536 color. The project manager of Delta, Li, jia-jyun indicates that it increases the size of the screen by 46%, using 16:9, instead of 4:3. In addition to RS-232 and RS485, DOPB200 also designs Ethernet and USB port to largely increase its expansions. DOPB200 also designs Audio output to use it as a warning system of the factory sites.
In terms of production output, Delta’s major product line focuses on 5.7 inches but this has retreated to a “red-ocean” market in which philosophy of quantity better than price. To prevent from this cause, Delta will continuously expand it screen size from 5.7 to 7 inches to avoid the red-ocean market.
Arbor Technology
Arbor used to focus on the development of traditional Panel PC. As HMI gradually becomes PC-based, its architecture has more applications and the mature technology that the giant manufacturers use low power consumption and embedded CPU architecture on the industry. Hence, Arbor further develops the research on the industrial goods, investing a great deal of research cost and labor in the Open HMI and Human Machine Controller.
There are four current product lines including FTPC (Fanless Touch Panel Computing), IPPC (Industrial Panel PC), FPM (Flat Panel Monitor Display), Arpex (Universal Engine Advance Box PC). PC-based HMI is a high-end product and certainly used for high-end industry. Arbor provides almost every size of HMI products from 5.7 to 17 inches, which belongs to the layer between control layer and management layer. In three more years ahead, Arbor will extend its applications vertically and integrate industrial internet and wireless technology based on Open HMI.
Wintek
Wintek is one of the few manufacturers that focus on HMI. Its products are available from 4.3 to 15 inches. Wintek indicates that HMI used mainly to reveal data and control monitoring. But today as there is a call for higher missions to achieve, which include product analysis, integration of data and parameter, internet applications and remote control, etc.
Wintek recently launches MT 8000 as its main product which is both HMI and data exchange center. It connects all kinds of MT 8000 to process information exchange via Ethernet and retrieves data from SCADA that runs on HMI. As for software products, Wintek promotes a new compiler, EasyBuilder 8000, to allow customers to quickly compile the software they need.
Pro-fibus
Pro-fibus is a professional HMI manufacturers. The general manager, Song ben, jhih ji, says that HMI used to work independently in different automation process facilities. But in recent years, the integration makes automation system to connect via Ethernet and helps expedite the data flow. HMI makes information more clear and easy to understand. Pro-fibus has long acknowledged this fact.
As for GP 3000 as its hit product, this series of products has been in the market in Japan for three years. The production line is pretty complete. GP 3000 is built with 64 bit RISC CPU that reaches good performance both on dustproof and shake proof. Alternatively, it also provides all kinds of software development kits that allow the system integration suppliers to reduce the time on product design. There is a specific function that connects to the camera that allows 60-minute recording the occurring event for reference in the future.
Figure 2: Song Ben Jhih Ji, the general manager of Pro-fibus indicates that the trends for automation process integration in recent years make the data flow move even faster, thanks to Ethernet connection, in particular, the role that the HMI plays on the information transparency.
Siemens
Siemens has always been a key player in the industrial control and HMI market. The hardware provides 3 to 19 inch products that include dust-proof IP65 with two different types to choose from: touch screen and button types. The software is the WinCC product with its SCADA runs on PC-based system.
Siemens launches a handheld mobile HMI that is rarely seen in the market. The PM Luo, long siang says that HMI is generally fixed on the machines but is unable to fix on the robotic hand. However, with handheld mobile HMI, operators may conduct surveillance and operation, using this device. This device has a hot swap function that allows removing from one machine to another without disconnecting the on-going operation.
Aplex technology
Aplex is an IPC manufacturer itself, responsible for the market of Panel PC and industrial computer. In the realm of HMI market, Aplex targets its HMI on open architecture. Chad Lee, the general manager, says that Aplex uses two kinds of processors: RISC and X86. The recently launched product uses ARM processor on PXA255 architecture with resolution from 800*600 to 1024*768, I/O connection ports ranging from RS-232 Serial Port to the built-in Ethernet and USB ports. The storage devices of CF and SD cards that display CCD images can be arranged by a modular design, which allows users with an alternative solution.
Cermate Technologies
Cermate’s HMI has a wide range of product applications on industrial control as well as architecture, building automation and factory automation. Cermate is mainly an OEM company with its customers as Honeywell and Siemens. Cermate furthers its corporation with Italy manufacturer EXOR. Both cooperate on the mutual-benefit basis. Cermate is both an OEM company and sole agent in the European market.
The regional marketing director, Li, wan lin indicates that Taiwan IT products are reputable worldwide. We hope to enter the global market starting from Taiwan market. As for the market share, Taiwan, China and the US account separately for one third market share. China is not so demanding the quality and there is low entry barrier to the market. Both Taiwan and the US are responsible for high and middle end market.
Figure 3: Kevin, regional chief of sales department at Cermate Technologies indicates that we insist on our products manufactured in Taiwan because Taiwan has enjoyed a reputation worldwide in this field. We hope to enter the market from Taiwan perspective.
Hitech Electronics
Hitech was acquired in 2005 by the giant European company of Beijer Electronics AB but it remains the original title of the company and has an independent ownership. ChiChie Hsu indicates that European companies prefer the exterior design of the product while Taiwan has more emphasis on the internal functions. Once there is an acquisition, it may achieve a synergy effect. Hsu points out that Beijer has won iF award on product design in Germany, which is a leadership of the industry.
In addition to appearance, Beijer’s HMI has full and complete functions such as RS-232, Ethernet, USB that are the main specs in the market. Because of little differences in internal technologies among the competitors, Beijer has moved its strategy to the exterior design of the product. Hsu further remarks that HMI has extended its applications from industrial control to building automation and pleasure boats. These realms of applications are specifically demanding the product design that has always been a competitive advantage for Beijer Electronics.
