Industrial Automation Controls for die casting 4.0

Italpresse and Wonderware have developed a new machine control system with advanced data management and diagnostics capabilities that unlocks Industry 4.0 possibilities for the die casting process: HMe.

Initially conceived in 2015 and refined over the past two years, the idea behind HMe is to drastically improve ‘situational awareness’ of machine operators and managers, enabling big data use and preventative diagnostics behind the scenes, while focusing the user’s attention on the most relevant and useful information only.

Mr. Andrea Pezzoli, VP Product Development & Engineering of ItalPresseGauss, explains: “We wanted to create a powerful, next-generation control system for our high-end die casting equipment. A system that would improve the human-machine interface while also unlocking new possibilities presented by digital technologies in the context of Industry 4.0. Working closely with Wonderware, we have been able to develop HMe as a powerful tool to future-proof our customers’ operations and give them access to never-before-seen process control and reliability.”

HMe offers real-time storage and powerful analysis of machine and process data, as well as the integration of peripheral and mobile devices. It thereby opens up the possibility of controlling the whole die casting process holistically through a single user interface – and even access this user interface remotely. HMe is built on Microsoft Windows, which means it is easy to install and offers all the connectivity capabilities embedded in the Windows operating system, including the use of cloud computing and storage.

The user interface was designed to visualize critical machine and process data in a highly accessible way in instantly understandable dashboards. The exact positioning, color-coding and arrangement of icons and buttons was optimized throughout the development and deployment of HMe, to focus the user’s attention on the most useful, most relevant information. The new HMe is based on a technology platform from Wonderware, the global leading industrial software brand by Schneider Electric. The platform allows the easy integration of peripheral devices, enabling the monitoring of whole processes directly from a single control panel.

Great cooperation between the two companies continues and has already led to the development of ItalPresseGauss’s innovative remote assistance and maintenance tool AMe.