The Eirich Group, specializing in mixing and grinding technologies for bulk materials, recently highlighted its ProView process data visualization product, noting that it is a universal tool not tied to any specific platform, enabling efficient analysis of operating data. It can be used on a PC in the office or on a tablet or smartphone while on the move.
In many industries, monitoring the mixing process is necessary for quality assurance, particularly if plants are working automatically, without direct control by a staff member. Changes in the properties or quantities of raw materials, for example, result in changes in the mixer’s power draw or in the moisture content of the mix. ProView enables simple and quick analysis of the process values in such situations.
Up until now, reading off operating data has been a laborious business. In most cases, data from the plant controller can only be downloaded using a USB thumb drive, and the operator is then required to import this into existing programs. It takes time and practice before usable displays and reports are achieved.
ProView process data visualization makes life easier, according to Eirich. All parameters monitored by sensors in the plant can be viewed in detail in diagrammatic form, on a PC in the office or on a mobile device. The data are stored locally, not in the cloud.
Eirich claimed that as browser-based software that is not tied to any specific platform, ProView works with any controllers, whether from Siemens, Rockwell or Mitsubishi. Installation on the company network is easy, according to the company. The program is preconfigured for each machine or plant but can also be adjusted by the user at any time. This allows different presentations and selection structures to be created to suit customer preferences. Useful tools such as graphical navigation on the time axis, zoom and curve comparison add to the software’s user-friendliness. Statistical parameters such as the mean and the standard deviation can also be displayed as standard.
With ProView, said Eirich, easy access to real-time and/or historical data becomes possible. Information is acquired that can be used directly by quality assurance, service or process engineering groups, and which in many instances makes optimizing production flows possible.
