Increase your profitability

SpiderControl provides a tool that covers all HMI requirements: We standardize HMI development and integrate all associated tasks. This allows you to reduce the engineering effort in the project business, increase your profitability and concentrate on your core competence in the control of machines and systems.

 

SpiderControl is used in the following areas, among others: 
  • Plant and special machine construction
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Packaging industry
  • Printing and paper industry
  • Food industry, etc.

 

What is important in this industry:
Reduction of engineering effort for recurring tasks

This requirement is very typical in special machine construction or is comparable in the development and maintenance of different series in different versions in mechanical engineering.

Basically, the automation concept is based on the standardization of PLC programming, in which the same standard template is used for control and visualization in every project. Each mechatronic unit such as an axis, a sensor or an actuator has a corresponding PLC programming and is used to assemble a system control in an object-oriented approach.

On the HMI side, there are corresponding HMI templates and macros for each of these control objects, which are selected at runtime by reading the PLC instance variables and linked to the object's data. The visualization project is thus largely data-driven and automatically built up to the navigation of the corresponding detailed views.

If you want to further automate the creation of an HMI, SpiderControl also offers the option of automatic creation using code generators. Specific features of a system are added manually to the standard HMI template using the SpiderControl PC HMI Editor.

SpiderControl enables such a concept through a variety of technically very sophisticated features, which make it possible to reduce the TCO (Total Cost Of Ownership) of a software by factors over the life expectancy of the product.

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Unit costs

Unit costs are relevant for cost-sensitive machines in somewhat larger quantities. SpiderControl offers the following advantages here:

Our MicroBrowser client technology requires a fraction of the performance of an HTML5 engine. This means that very cost-effective uBrowser panels can be used as touch panels, which display exactly the same HMI with at least the same performance, but cost considerably less. We will be happy to advise you on suitable suppliers.

A MicroBrowser client can often also be integrated into an existing PLC, e.g. on a panel PLC or an IPC with HDMI connection. The memory and performance footprint is surprisingly small and places little load on the controller, even if the computer is not extremely fast and is already busy with control tasks. Typical OS are Linux and Windows variants.

Overall, SpiderControl is an HMI technology that is significantly more performant across the entire chain from data communication to the HMI server to the HMI client, which almost always has a positive effect on hardware costs.

In addition, of course, the software license costs of SpiderControl are also very competitive.

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Scalability - from small to very large

SpiderControl can be used on the entire range from small machines to large SCADA solutions. Small projects fit directly onto the web server of a PLC, e.g. with an S7-1200/1500. For many PLCs such as Wago, Beckhoff, Bosch CtrlX, Phoenix PLCnext and all possible Linux derivatives, SpiderControl offers a web/SCADA server directly for installation on the PLC, with direct access to the local PLC variables.

For larger projects with several PLCs, there is the SCADA server - also available on the aforementioned PLCs or on an IPC under Linux, Windows, Android and as a Docker component.

No matter which PLC, always the same tool: Use the same SpiderControl HMI on different PLCs.

 

Long-term availability

SpiderControl has been on the market for more than 20 years and all HMIs ever developed with our tool are upgradeable. This is made possible by a unique software architecture, which on the one hand offers a high level of abstraction between the UI description and the connection to the respective client technology (HTML5/JavaScript, uBrowser/C++) and on the other hand offers an open architecture for continuous expansion for new features (e.g. gesture control, responsive design).

This architecture is the basis of a long-term software strategy: if a microprocessor platform is no longer available, an operating system is discontinued (e.g. WinCE), a programming language is no longer appropriate (e.g. Java Applets) or even just one manufacturer has disappeared from the market, this does not mean the loss of your investment.

The advantage for the customer should not be underestimated: Long-term availability offers a high level of security in terms of delivery capability while keeping system costs low (TCO: Total Cost Of Ownership).

 

Supply chain problems

Less dependence on a single supplier.

This issue, which has recently become more prominent, also benefits from the architecture described above. A solution with SpiderControl offers the greatest possible security of being able to switch to devices that are still available on the market at any time thanks to the support of all major operating systems and the extremely portable software architecture.

 

New compliance requirements

The wave of EU regulations poses enormous challenges for machine manufacturers. A clearly and simply structured software architecture helps to overcome them:

The core components of SpiderControl are based on code developed entirely in Switzerland. A few basic components are available in identical form on many platforms (modular system). This greatly simplifies the requirements and the effort for tests, documentation and bug fixes.

New requirements for connectivity - digitalization

The SpiderControl SCADA Server has an integrated digitalization platform - the SpiderPLC with the I4.0 Integration Suite.

This allows you to implement all digitization and integration requirements in IT infrastructures from a single tool with little effort..

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Do you use both standard PLC technology and your own electronics?

SpiderControl offers you the option of using the same tool on all systems. This simplifies development enormously and offers great potential for cost savings. Standardized engineering, the reuse of existing UI components and macros, a uniform look & feel and consistent compatibility, even with embedded HMI panels, offer enormous advantages.

 

 

Contact Peter Brügger now!