High-Performance HMI

For over thirty years, industrial processes have been controlled through computerized schematic representations of the plant. The typical process schematic display in use today often contains too much information that is poorly conveyed, causing inefficiencies in the operation of the plant. Upgrading to High-Performance Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) increases the situational awareness of your operators, and results in more accurate operations.

High-Performance HMIs are designed to accomplish the following:

Provide optimal operator awareness of the state of the process
Make operators aware of key performance indicators and process trends
Enable immediate detection of abnormal conditions
Increase the success rate for handling abnormal situations
Decrease the time needed to complete mitigation tasks
Discourage reactive operation

The Seven Step Methodology to High-Performance HMI
From our extensive HMI design and implementation services experience, PAS has developed standard High-Performance Object Libraries and a seven step methodology for designing effective, high performing displays that provide operators with the information needed to control the process and respond to deviations quickly and safely. The seven steps are:

Develop a High-Performance HMI philosophy and style guide
Assess and benchmark existing graphics against the HMI Philosophy
Determine specific performance and goal objectives for controlling the process during all modes of operation
Perform task analysis to determine the control manipulations required to achieve the performance and goal objectives
Design and build high-performance graphics using the design principles from the HMI philosophy and elements from the style guide
Install, commission, and provide training on the new HMI
Control, maintain, and periodically reassess the HMI performance

Details on the seven step methodology can be found in the recently published technical book by PAS, “The High Performance HMI Handbook”.