Woman touching an intuitive industrial HMI panel at an assembly line in a factory

HMI panel enabling detailed insights and control in a factory

## Background

Kordecki Automation company logo
Our Client, Kordecki Automation from Wrocław, Poland, was developing an automated quality control system for an end client, a manufacturer of household appliances, for quality control on dishwasher assembly lines. The system included a computer vision component and PLC-based automation. They needed a user-friendly Human-Machine Interface (HMI) to monitor inspections and manage data.

## The Problem

Operators lacked a clear, accessible interface for reviewing inspections, identifying issues, and confirming system integrity. Therefore, the Client needed a centralized web application (HMI panel) to present synchronized data from multiple sources – images from a vision system and measurements from a PLC – in a format intuitive enough for non-technical staff on the factory floor. Additionally, the system was required to be integrated with end client’s infrastructure and eco-system, which resulted in the need for a Windows-based solution.

## The Solution

We developed a browser-based HMI application designed specifically for factory operators and quality engineers. The system consisted of two components:
  • a backend service,
  • and a web-based frontend interface.
The user-facing part of the system was implemented using Dash Plotly. The backend was built as a FastAPI service that orchestrates data flow between hardware and the frontend. The communication with the PLC was done via the OPC UA protocol, while the images were exchanged using a SFTP server. The HMI panel’s application was managed as a Windows system service.

## The Process

Two of our software team members worked closely with the Client’s automation team and factory’s IT department. This cooperation was crucial to define requirements and integrate with the Client’s hardware and the end client’s factory’s network infrastructure. However. most of our communication was done using remote tools.

Throughout development, we maintained constant communication with the Client, iterating on interface design and user experience. Feedback sessions helped us refine data presentation and improve usability for operators and process engineers.

## The Effect

The final HMI application significantly improved visibility into the production quality process:
  • operators quickly trace issues to specific inspection events, reducing the time spent on fault diagnostics;
  • process engineers can access historical data e.g. in case of reclamation and improve their quality assurance process;
  • staff training became easier thanks to the clear, dashboard-style interface;
  • maintaining high inspection standards became simpler.
Moreover, by automating the pairing of image and PLC data and flagging anomalies early, the system helps in preventing production errors from going unnoticed.

## Project Resources

Using Dash Plotly and available data, we created an intuitive and cleanly-designed dashboard for the HMI panel.
Dashboard of a HMI industrial panel presenting float control history
Online quality check in a dashboard of a HMI industrial panel
An example of an easy to understand industrial HMI panel dashboard

Recommendations

Slashdev understood our client's needs and provided us with an apropriate solution. The intuitivness and simplicity of the interface is a great asset. The cooperation with the teams was good, and slashdev's engineers skilled.

In case of similar future projects, we will definitely ask slashdev for another collaboration.

Jacek Kordecki, owner of the Kordecki Automation comany
Jacek Kordecki
CEO of Kordecki Automation Sp. z o.o.

About the project

## Industrial Quality Control System With HMI Panel Project Background

Kordecki Automation sought for engineers understanding working environments of factories to assist them in building a visual inspection system for their end client. In addition, the key skillset included knowledge of HMIs, information visualization and embedded software.

The Client was not in a rush, nevertheless, the deadlines were not to be taken lightly. The Client’s teams were responsible for data acquisition and factory overview. Our scope included creating functional software.

## The Team

We designated two talented engineers from our team:

  • Piotr, fluent in analysis and visualization;
  • Maciej, skilled in embedded software.

## The Result

The cooperation between the Client’s teams and our specialists resulted in a clean, functional interface. As a result, the end client’s factory workflow became smoother, with fewer disruptions, and their workers’ job a bit easier.

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