A factory automation integrator was upgrading the SCADA interface for a packaging and material-handling line. Operators needed a reliable local terminal to monitor PLC data, acknowledge alarms, adjust operating parameters, and review production status directly beside the equipment.

The existing office-style PCs required separate displays and peripherals, occupied too much cabinet space, and were not well suited to dust, routine cleaning, or continuous operation. Sihovision provided a panel mount computer that combined the display, touch interface, and industrial computing platform in one compact HMI solution.

1. Technical Requirements

The customer did not need a high-end data center platform. The priority was a stable industrial panel PC for machine-level SCADA visualization and routine operator control.

The required configuration focused on the functions used every day on the production floor:

l  Fanless computing for continuous SCADA visualization near machinery

l  Resistive touchscreen operation for alarms, recipes, and control commands

l  Dual Ethernet and serial connectivity for PLC, network, and legacy-device integration

l  IP65 front-panel protection for dusty or splash-prone production areas

l  Panel-mount installation for compact control-cabinet integration.

These requirements align with common industrial HMI deployments, where touch panel PCs are used to run SCADA clients, visualize production data, and give operators direct access to machine-control information.

2. Solution Implementation

Sihovision integrated the industrial panel PC into the main operator cabinet beside the packaging line. The system ran the customer’s existing Windows-based SCADA client, allowing the project team to upgrade the HMI hardware without changing established PLC programs or control logic.

• The panel mount computer was installed flush with the control-cabinet door, creating a compact operator station with the display, touchscreen, and computing system in one enclosure.
• The fanless platform supported continuous SCADA operation near conveyors, filling equipment, and packaging machinery, where airborne dust could affect conventional PCs.
• One Ethernet port connected to the PLC and machine-control network, while the second supported communication with the factory network for supervisory access and production-data reporting.
• Serial ports were used to retain communication with selected legacy controllers and peripheral equipment, reducing the need for additional protocol converters.
• The resistive touchscreen was configured for daily production tasks, including live equipment-status checks, alarm acknowledgement, recipe selection, manual control, and trend review.

This deployment gave operators direct access to line data at the point of operation while keeping the SCADA architecture straightforward for maintenance and future workstation expansion.

3. Project Benefits

The SCADA workstation has become a more integrated part of the production line rather than a separate office-PC setup. Operators had a dedicated industrial HMI terminal positioned where they could react to alarms and equipment changes.

• Faster response to machine alarms through local real-time visualization
• Clearer line-level visibility across multiple stations and conveying equipment
• More compact operator stations with no separate monitor, keyboard, or external PC enclosure
• Simplified future expansion using the same industrial panel PC architecture at additional workstations

4. Customer Testimonial

Plants that have replaced older HMI terminals with Sihovision's panel PCs consistently point to fewer nuisance failures as the biggest change.

"We used to lose an operator station every few months to dust or a failed fan. That problem has basically gone away since the switch," said a maintenance lead at a metal stamping facility.

"Touch response stays solid even standing next to our welding cells, which our old panels could never handle," noted a controls engineer overseeing an assembly line retrofit.

For factory automation projects, the industrial panel PC provides a direct and durable interface between operators, PLC-controlled equipment, and the SCADA system.

Sihovision industrial panel PCs can be deployed as SCADA HMI terminals for packaging lines, assembly equipment, material handling systems, utility monitoring stations, and other factory automation applications. Equipment builders can create a high-performance operator interface while keeping system integration straightforward.