HMI Enclosure Systems
Electrical enclosures are designed to house industrial components and to protect them from the surrounding environment. They are also designed to protect operators from electric shock. They come in many different shapes, sizes and materials. Some things to consider when selecting the proper enclosure would be the number of components housed inside and what material and rating will provide the appropriate protection.
A Human Machine Interface (HMI) is a software application that presents information to an operator and allows the operator to interact with a device. The term HMI is most commonly used in reference to an industrial process. HMIs in industrial settings can be a screen display mounted on a machine, touchscreens, push buttons, computer keyboards or multi-touch-enabled control panels. All of these methods allow the operator to interact with the connected devices, machines or systems.
HMI enclosures are designed specifically for the wide range of Human Machine Interface applications found in industrial settings. It is important to have customization options like removable front plates that allow for easy installation of HMI components, optional door panels that can be mounted anywhere and cutout options where needed. Some enclosures are designed to enclose, protect and suspend lightweight HMI devices. HMI enclosures should always be rated to protect sensitive systems from the sometimes harsh environments found in industrial settings. This would include protection against moisture, chemicals and dirt, as well as, temperature variations.
Subcategories
Human Machine Interface (HMI) is a software interface that allows operators to interact with various pieces of electrical hardware and controls systems. HMI typically utilizes monitors or screens to display information, which are referred to as HMI screens. The screens are not the actual HMI, but are a tool used to display HMI software. For example, electrical enclosures often have screens mounted on the outside of them to provide users with information about ongoing process and to allow users to make changes to the system.
Operator Interface Terminal (OIT) typically displays basic information about the electrical hardware that it is attached to. It provides only local information about the environment it is interfacing with and allows control and monitoring for that one piece of hardware, not an entire system.