Human-Machine
Interface

Human-Machine
Interface
For packaging equipment

PREMIER TECH CHRONOS

Design of control panel interfaces for Premier Tech Chronos (PTC) bagging and paletting equipment.

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ALTO was commissioned to redesign the digital interfaces for Premier Tech Chronos (PTC) bagging and paletting equipment. Standardization of the tools controlling these machines was obviously essential for consistent functional and graphic performance between different systems.

The objective, then, was to create a common platform that would also be flexible and could be adapted to operate on different machines, with varying user needs.

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Working together with the PTC teams, four typical user profiles were defined.

The needs of each were specified with the help of empathy maps, user journeys, and personas, resulting in a simplified, personalized user experience.

Different levels of access permissions for the platform were also developed, based on user types.

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For an immersion course in the world of PTC industrial machines, our team visited five factories with multiple equipment types and configurations, in order to study their real operating conditions.

These observations enabled us to prioritize the functionalities the new human machine interface (HMI) should respond to.

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The architecture of each of these machines was analyzed in detail to identify their common properties and distinctive features.

The result was a basic structure that allowed standardized content formatting for all equipment.

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Among the many interface models considered, we favoured concepts where navigation was flexible enough to accommodate the different user profiles and types of equipment concerned. An animated prototype helped validate and optimize the key principles for use: Navigation, Content, Functionality, Intuitiveness, and Architecture.

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The graphic treatment chosen presents a simple, elegant interface where white dominates and induces a calming effect. This allows users to focus on the messages concerning activities on the floor.

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A design guide was written to help guide the PTC technical teams in charge of developing the platform for individual customers.

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The new Premier Tech Chronos human-machine interfaces were unveiled at the Pack Expo International trade fair in Chicago. Reactions and comments were universally positive.

We’re confident that this new version of the interface will mark a turning point for the company, and set a new benchmark for the industry.

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