Process Data Historians have been around for decades and are invaluable for monitoring, control, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of both products and processes. Data Historians represent data in tabular form, within time series, statistical, and X-Y trends, and bar graphs, colored pipes, and other animations within graphical representations of the process. Each representation helps users readily identify if the process and product are on-track and within specifications. Are there additional ways to represent the process?
Video on the control console is not new, we've seen it in most industries:
- Conveyors of iron ore
- Furnace jets in a glass factory
- Packages on sorters
- Valves at environmental release points
However the ability to store and retrieve video streams like data points is new and exciting!
Data has a permanent high position its importance, but video can be an important additional resource; it can see what all of the data may not be able to! Data and Video can work hand-in-hand... If you see something in the data, you can review the video to learn more and visa-versa. Advancements in CPUs, networks, video compression, and database architecture have made it possible to record and playback video.
A combination of fixed cameras to capture a consistent view of critical points within the manufacturing process can be coupled with operator controlled video cameras that allow for panning and zooming. Both fixed and operator controllled video feeds can be recorded for playback later. The additional capability for annotation allows a user to enter a comment at a point in the timeline that can be displayed along side the video when the historical playback crosses the point in time where the annotation was recorded.
Let the Evaluation Begin!
Automated Results is excited about this new development; we are pursuing it with our customers. We've identified several suppliers and will be evaluating their product offerings in the near future... so
Stay Tuned!