Inst ToolsInst ToolsInst Tools
  • Courses
  • Automation
    • PLC
    • Control System
    • Safety System
    • Communication
    • Fire & Gas System
  • Instrumentation
    • Design
    • Pressure
    • Temperature
    • Flow
    • Level
    • Vibration
    • Analyzer
    • Control Valve
    • Switch
    • Calibration
    • Erection & Commissioning
  • Interview
    • Instrumentation
    • Electrical
    • Electronics
    • Practical
  • Q&A
    • Instrumentation
    • Control System
    • Electrical
    • Electronics
    • Analog Electronics
    • Digital Electronics
    • Power Electronics
    • Microprocessor
  • Request
Search
  • Books
  • Software
  • Projects
  • Process
  • Tools
  • Basics
  • Formula
  • Power Plant
  • Root Cause Analysis
  • Electrical Basics
  • Animation
  • Standards
  • 4-20 mA Course
  • Siemens PLC Course
Reading: Typical HMI Screen Design for Water Treatment Plant
Share
Font ResizerAa
Inst ToolsInst Tools
Font ResizerAa
  • Courses
  • Design
  • PLC
  • Interview
  • Control System
Search
  • Courses
  • Automation
    • PLC
    • Control System
    • Safety System
    • Communication
    • Fire & Gas System
  • Instrumentation
    • Design
    • Pressure
    • Temperature
    • Flow
    • Level
    • Vibration
    • Analyzer
    • Control Valve
    • Switch
    • Calibration
    • Erection & Commissioning
  • Interview
    • Instrumentation
    • Electrical
    • Electronics
    • Practical
  • Q&A
    • Instrumentation
    • Control System
    • Electrical
    • Electronics
    • Analog Electronics
    • Digital Electronics
    • Power Electronics
    • Microprocessor
  • Request
Follow US
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
Inst Tools > Blog > PLC Tutorials > Typical HMI Screen Design for Water Treatment Plant

Typical HMI Screen Design for Water Treatment Plant

Design typical HMI screens for water treatment plants featuring clear graphics, data, and control functions.

Last updated: September 18, 2024 1:55 pm
Viral Nagda
PLC Tutorials
1 Comment
Share
8 Min Read
SHARE

In a water treatment plant, there are majorly three types of systems – sewage water treatment, normal water treatment, and effluent treatment. Be it any system, one thing I have noticed common in them is the screen graphic design plays a very important role in them.

Contents
Typical HMI Screen DesignWater Treatment PlantWelcome screenMain Menu or Header-Footer NavigationIO StatusAuto Mode / Manual ModeLogin / LogoutEngineering SettingsP&IDSystem architectureConfigurationTrendsAlarmsAudit Trail

Typical HMI Screen Design

This is because the information is vast, records are important, logging activity is important, there are numerous instruments, and process flow showing is also important. So, graphic screen design, especially HMI, plays a very important role for programmers. In this post, we will see typical HMI screen designs for water treatment plants.

Water Treatment Plant

Let us have a look at each factor one by one:

Welcome screen

This screen is common in all industrial systems, not only in water treatment. So, programmers must design this screen properly. Do not take very bright colors which trouble eyes for the background; standard colors are white, gray, light blue, or light brown.

Because HMI screens are small, if you also want to insert buttons in the header and footer, then choose the color that matches the colors of the buttons. Then, on the screen, insert details like project name, client name, consultant name if any, a photo of the system, and your company name.

Refer to the below image for a sample. Also, maintain the following details on all the screens – date, time, username, user group, and alarm banner.

Typical HMI Screen Design for Water Treatment Plant

Main Menu or Header-Footer Navigation

This is an HMI screen that needs very special attention in any system. An operator, just like our mobile phone, requires a screen or touch where he may be able to access all the main buttons for further operation.

So, be it a header footer or a screen with all the buttons, the following ones are usually required –

  • IO status,
  • auto mode (if plant operation is in either auto or manual mode),
  • manual mode,
  • reset,
  • login,
  • logout,
  • engineering settings,
  • P&ID,
  • system architecture,
  • configuration,
  • trends,
  • alarms, and
  • audit trail.

Each button should have a corresponding security level for access.

IO Status

This HMI screen is also a common one found in all industrial applications. When you click this button, give a popup navigating to the four options – digital inputs, digital outputs, analog inputs, and analog outputs.

Each of these screens should have the following information –

  • channel name
  • channel description
  • status
  • unit (in the case of analog IO)
  • simulation button (for each DI and AI)

The simulation button should only be accessible to higher-level group users for safety.

Auto Mode / Manual Mode

These buttons should have two actions. In one action, if no mode is currently selected in the plant, then this mode can be selected by navigating to the corresponding screen.

In the second action, if manual mode is already selected, then this button should not be accessible. An access denied popup should be shown immediately in this case. The same case works for auto mode and vice-versa. This alerts the operator that manual mode/auto mode is already running in the plant.

Now, in a water treatment plant, there are many sub-processes for a single plant. So, when auto mode is clicked, the below architectural designs are best preferred for easy operation.

When the whole plant has a single auto or manual mode, then the auto mode can be divided into various processes with individual start and stop, showing running status and navigating to a set parameter screen. The modes can be reset by pressing the reset button in the main menu.

Water Treatment Plant SCADA

In the second design, instead of auto / manual mode in the main menu, the button can be replaced with the button-process selection. This is applicable in cases where individual processes can be operated in either auto or manual mode. That means the processes are independent of each other. The modes can be reset by pressing the reset button on the independent process screen.

Login / Logout

Make sure to make proper groups and users according to the hierarchy required by the customer. Maintain a password matrix sheet.

In that, assign specific tasks to the groups. Due to this, on any screen of the HMI, you will be able to decide what security level needs to be assigned to that button or set parameter.

Engineering Settings

This screen should be accessible only to higher-level authorities. All the critical settings should be present on these screens.

P&ID

Because water treatment plants have water flowing through various processes, the first thing to note is that arrows must be shown on the pipelines. This should happen with arrows blinking and visible only when the particular line is in flow.

This depicts the user whose process is in flow right now. Then, show all the IO’s, from and to process arrows with labels, tag the equipment ID of each IO, tanks, current status (running cycle name) of the process, utility line (like steam, air, or water), and color change of the IO symbols for various states like on-off-trip-deselected.

System architecture

The HMI screen shows the overall system architecture with linking between the main PLC CPU, IO modules, HMI, Ethernet switch, or any other communication protocol.

The links should change color to red or green depending on it’s network health. Also, show the status of the CPU or modules like whether it is running, or at fault.

Configuration

As HMI is hardware, it should include a screen that can be accessible only to higher levels, for changing the configuration of the HMI like date and time, network settings, touch settings, etc.

Trends

Include a screen for showing the trends or graphs of analog values. Keep in mind the memory consumption of the HMI for assigning proper trend memory.

Alarms

Include a screen for showing the current alarm list and alarm history. Keep in mind the memory consumption of the HMI for assigning proper alarm memory.

Alarm memory is used to back up the alarms in case of a power outage and the total number of alarm records that it can store.

Audit Trail

Include a screen for showing the audit trail of the activities done by the user. Keep in mind the memory consumption of the HMI for assigning proper audit memory.

In this way, we saw a typical HMI screen design for a water treatment plant.

Read Next:

  • Modbus Reading and Writing Data Basics
  • Python in Industrial Automation System
  • Wastewater Treatment Pumping Station
  • PLC Program for Water Level Control Logic
  • Create an Application in HMI with Tia Portal

Don't Miss Our Updates
Be the first to get exclusive content straight to your email.
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Invalid email address
You've successfully subscribed !

Continue Reading

PLC Motor Logic with START, STOP, TEST Push buttons
What is RS Linx? Types of Software in Rockwell Automation
Latched and Momentary Operation of Motor PLC Program
Emergency Stop Switch Spurious Trip
What is a Annunciator Panel?
Elevator Control: PLC Program with 5-Second Floor Stops
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Copy Link
Share
1 Comment
  • Vasanth R says:
    November 6, 2024 at 11:23 pm

    I need Siemens SPPA-T3000 and Emerson Ovation DCS manual, Siemens S7-1400 and 1500 PLC manual

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected

128.3kFollowersLike
69.1kFollowersFollow
210kSubscribersSubscribe
38kFollowersFollow

Categories

Explore More

Difference Between PNP and NPN Sensors
Compare Online and Offline PLC Programs
Types of Interrupt OB in Siemens Tia Portal
Automatic Bottle Filling System using PLC
Product Sticker Machine with Weighing PLC Program
Difference between DCS, PLC, and RTU ?
How to Communicate with Excel from Intouch SCADA?
Tanks Draining Control in PLC using Functional Block Diagram

Keep Learning

Masked Move Instructions

How to use Masked Move Instruction in PLC

Latching and Unlatching in PLC Programming for Beginners

Latching and Unlatching in PLC Programming Example

CODESYS open source PLC software

What is CODESYS? Why Do You Need to Learn it?

PLC Programming for Weight-Based Packaging

PLC Programming for Weight-Based Packaging

DDE Protocol

What is the DDE Protocol?

Select Security type Intouch

How to Add Security in InTouch SCADA?

How to Safely Design Automation System for Hazardous Environments?

Automation System for Hazardous Environments

PLC Ladder Logic Chemical Mixing Process

Chemical Mixing Process using PLC

Learn More

Internal parts of relief valve

What is a Boiler Pressure Relief Valve?

Vortex Flow Meter Animation

Basic Working Principle of Vortex Flowmeter

D.C Tachogenerator Principle

D.C Tachogenerator Principle

Fiber Optic Cable Construction

Fiber Optic Cable Construction

Basic Digital Building Blocks Objective Questions

Basic Digital Building Blocks Objective Questions

corroded tank

Cathodic Protection – Sacrificial Anodic and Impressed Current

Tie rods double acting cylinder

What is a Pneumatic Cylinder?

Electric Circuits Objective Questions

Electric Circuits Objective Questions – Set 2

Menu

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright

Quick Links

  • Learn PLC
  • Helping Hand
  • Part Time Job

YouTube Subscribe

Follow US
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?