KEB America’s New Moisture Resistant and Stainless Steel HMI
KEB Americas Inc, a company that specializes in manufacturing automation products, has released the C6 HMI, a new stainless steel HMI.
The 316L stainless steel panel has an IP69K certification, meaning it is dustproof and protected from water during high pressure and steam cleaning, making it optimal for industrial use.
The C6 is suitable for food and beverage, packaging, and pharmaceutical applications. It is currently offered as a standalone HMI or as an HMI + PLC combo.
New HMI to Withstand Industrial Environments
Designed to withstand tough industrial environments, the new IP69K-certified product from KEB does not contain fans or hard drives.
The C6 HMI is also designed to be utilized with different PLCs and supports over 40 different communication drivers, including ProfiNet, Modbus, and more. It features backup capabilities via a micro UPS (uninterruptible power supply) and a software tool added to the device to protect non-volatile data.
The C6 connectivity ports. Image used courtesy of KEB.
The panel offers enhanced security too, coming with integrated remote monitoring and maintenance capabilities via a secure VPN connection. Finally, the C6 features a backlit, adjustable touch screen display with 16 million colors, offered in sizes from 5.7″ up to 15.6″ and in a variety of display formats.
Industrial Capabilities with Easy to Clean Surface
The stainless steel enclosure makes the C6 ideal to be deployed where high-pressure moisture is used to sanitize equipment.
This includes industrial applications specifically aimed at the food and beverage industries, as well as packaging and pharmaceuticals. More generally, when designing human-machine interfaces for industrial use, it is important to keep a few points in mind.
Firstly, these devices should have a linear and easy-to-clean surface and a hermetic design, to avoid residues to get stuck in between joints of crevices and limit effectiveness and/or durability.
KEB’s new C6 human-machine interface. Image used courtesy of KEB.
These HMIs should also be built with materials with a high-resistance to industry-standard cleaning agents and disinfectants.
Ultimately, however, it all boils down to the IP or Ingress Protection rating. The term refers to the degree of protection provided by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures against intrusion, dust, accidental contact, and water.
Specifically, in the IP69K rating attributed to the C6, the “6” refers to external protection from dust, while the “9” means protection from close-range high-pressure spray downs. Finally, the “K” refers to the high temperature of the water used.
Real-World Applications
The new panel from KEB is designed to work together with several of the company’s other automation products. In terms of food packaging, KEB offers several platforms, products and libraries to automate most tasks.
The company also sells numerous products aimed at the healthcare industry, including permanent magnet brakes and electromagnetic clutches for medical machines.
KEB’s headquarters in Shakopee, Minneapolis, US. Image used courtesy of KEB.
In both applications and many more, automation processes need to be supervised and analyzed on a regular basis, making the C6 HMI a necessary resource for companies looking at deploying these types of machinery.
KEB currently has four global production sites and over 40 sales and service centers worldwide.
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