What is HMI in an Industrial Environment?
In an industrial environment, HMI stands for Human-Machine Interface. It is the interface through which an operator (human) communicates with machines or industrial processes.
What does an HMI do?
An HMI visualises industrial processes and enables operation of machines, installations or production lines. This typically takes place via:
- Touchscreens on machines
- Operator panels
- Industrial PCs
- Software on workstations
Examples of what you can do via an HMI
- Real-time monitoring of production processes (temperature, pressure, speed, etc.)
- Viewing warnings and faults
- Adjusting settings (for example the speed of a conveyor)
- Starting/stopping machines
- Retrieving historical data (e.g. graphs of consumption or faults)
Where is an HMI used?
In virtually all industrial sectors, such as:
- Food & beverage (e.g. managing a pasteurisation process)
- Chemicals (driving reactors or mixers)
- Automotive (monitoring assembly lines)
- Energy (oversight of turbines, generators)
HMI vs. SCADA
| HMI | SCADA |
|---|---|
| Operates and displays information locally (machine level) | Manages processes at a larger scale (factory / multiple sites) |
| Used directly by operators | Collects data, manages alarm systems and visualises at a higher level |
| Usually linked to a single PLC or system | Integrates multiple HMIs, PLCs, sensors, etc. |
In summary
An HMI is the operator’s “control post”. It allows operators to control machines, view information and respond quickly to deviations in the process.