The project involves the development of an innovative HMI for Ballestra machines, with Industry 4.0 functionality.
Ballestra Mazzoni S.p.A
FastThink
Ballestra is a leading global supplier of engineering solutions for the chemical industry, specializing in the design and manufacture of machinery for various sectors, including soap production, with a focus on innovative and efficient technologies.
Currently, soap-making machines on the market are not generally equipped with 4.0 functionality. Solid soap is considered a low-cost product, mainly intended for less developed countries, and the market trend has been to focus more on mechanical aspects and cost containment, neglecting intelligence and control. The project for Ballestra aims to introduce a significant upgrade to the industry, allowing users of its machines to access advanced features.
The project aims to develop a new HMI (Human Machine Interface) for Ballestra’s soap production machines, covering both hardware and software. Achieving these objectives will enable Ballestra to:
Develop simpler and more intuitive HMIs, with a structure common to different types of machines.
Guide customer requests through standardization, reducing dependence on hardware suppliers and their proprietary technologies, with significant benefits in terms of speed and streamlining of development activities.
Use a single software project that can be quickly adapted to different machines, eliminating the need for dedicated developments for each machine or order, as is currently the case.
Currently, the technologies used include PLCs, visualizers, and specific programming languages for interfaces. The project involves the introduction of PANEL PCs as new HMIs, together with a new integration and standardization platform called Connect Orchestrator. This approach aims to create a standardized, web-based system, ensuring a single development interface for different panels, simplifying use and improving compatibility between different types of machines.
The introduction of a single interface for panel development, with a standardized, web-based solution, will significantly reduce the development time for machine control software systems, facilitate access to information, and ensure consistent graphics across different machines.
After an initial effort, we expect to see reduced development times, improved information management, and consistent graphics across different machines.
