Why can't we have more exciting graphics?
HMIs can have spectacular graphics. Why shouldn't we use them?
Dear Control Engineering: I was reading the article Gray Backgrounds for DCS Operating Displays. Why is operator response so important? Aren’t most problems caused by the equipment?
The Abnormal Situation Management Consortium says that people factors account for 42% of incidents, which is why the group spends so much time on operator training and how individuals interface with the control system. (If you’re curious, equipment factors account for 36% of incidents, and process factors for only 22%.)
If an operator has to look at an HMI screen and ask him or herself what that blinking red thing means, it means that the operator is not adequately trained, or that the HMI graphic is not consistent in its use of color. Any time spent gathering thoughts and interpreting graphics simply slows the response and allows the problem to go on longer, potentially escalating in scale and damage. Worse yet, an operator may take the wrong action if he or she doesn't understand immediately what the display is trying to say. Consistency is critical.
Peter Welander, pwelander(at)cfemedia.com
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2012 Salary Survey
In a year when manufacturing continued to lead the economic rebound, it makes sense that plant manager bonuses rebounded. Plant Engineering’s annual Salary Survey shows both wages and bonuses rose in 2012 after a retreat the year before.
Average salary across all job titles for plant floor management rose 3.5% to $95,446, and bonus compensation jumped to $15,162, a 4.2% increase from the 2010 level and double the 2011 total, which showed a sharp drop in bonus.