Wonderware, a business unit of Invensys Systems, has announced the addition of two new products to its line of industrial computers. Designed for use in rugged environments, the new Box PC and Thin Client Computer industrial systems come bundled with HMI software, offer flexibility and versatility, and are plug-and-play ready for immediate operation in a variety of manufacturing and industrial settings.
The Wonderware Box PC is a fanless, dust-protected computer, which will operate with most commercially available display units. It is ideal for applications requiring remote operation, enabling the computer to be located in a separate location from the display. The system comes bundled with Wonderware InTouch human-machine interface (HMI) and is pre-installed with ActiveFactory trending and analysis software.
The Box PC also easily integrates into existing plant automation and information systems. Since this hardware configuration is 'ArchestrA Ready', it can be a platform node that is part of a distributed Industrial Application Server network. ArchestrA is an integrated development environment developed by Invensys to decrease the time and cost associated with implementing new automation projects. The Industrial Application Server provides a unified environment for visualisation, storing plant history, device communications and application integration.
In addition, the Box PC is designed for installations that require long-distance remote mounting. The product can be used with speciality or remote displays to provide maximum configuration flexibility. It can also operate as a workstation in the plant for visualisation, monitoring, and controlling machines and processes.
The Wonderware Thin Client Computer is a cost-effective solution for client/server architectures using InTouch software for Terminal Services. This software enables users to install the InTouch HMI on a central server once and then execute the software multiple times. Client computers need only connect to an InTouch terminal session that resides on the server. The Thin Client Computer is a compact, lightweight and robust industrial computer that is compatible with a variety of display units.
In addition, the product is compatible with ThinManager software from Automation Control Products (ACP), which provides centralised configuration and management of the thin-client network. It can be delivered with Microsoft Windows CE operating system pre-installed.
The Thin Client Computers are well suited for customers who want either an ACP ThinManager-ready thin client or a standard Microsoft RDP-based thin client. It comes bundled with a single InTouch for Terminal Services session license, making it ready to use out of the box.
Designed to operate in harsh environments, both the rugged Thin Client Computer and Box PC have been built with no moving parts thereby further reducing the chance of system failure.
"Hundreds of companies have found Wonderware's industrial computers, such as the tablets and panels, to offer much quicker and less expensive setup, ease of use, high reliability and open integration," says Justin Tweedie, MD of Futuristix, sole SA distributor for the Wonderware range of industrial automation and MES solutions. "This line bundles the world's most popular InTouch HMI software and is competitively priced in comparison with other plant-floor supervisory hardware solutions and operator panels. In addition, our customers benefit from having one convenient source for both hardware and software, which can further reduce on-going service and support costs. With the addition of these new hardware platforms and bundled software, customers can improve their overall plant-floor productivity, visibility and control while eliminating the information gaps between traditional operator panels and supervisory-level HMIs."
Wonderware's industrial computers come with a two-year warranty as well as an immediate warranty exchange policy.
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