Successful Cooperation with KEBA

The KEBA KeTop T150 handheld terminal has a capacitive touchscreen with genuine multitouch operability and impressive robustness. It stands out by virtue of its low weight, a large 10-inch display and modular design. The latter allows customers to change over to new processor technologies if application requirements increase. Using its open, parameterizable and programmable VisiWin 7.2 platform as a basis, INOSOFT developed VisiWin KEBA OEM, a made-to-measure, native HMI solution for the KeTop T150. 

The “Modern UI” technology allows to create visually appealing, easy-to-use solutions while separating design and function. On the KEBA KeTop T150 safe wireless handheld terminal, which was also introduced at the SPS IPC Drives, reliable operation and high availability are ensured by transferring HMI data via wireless LAN and safety data via Bluetooth. Thanks to VisiWin, the user interfaces for the wireless version of the device can be easily customized to ensure maximum user convenience.

“The VisiWin platform is incredibly powerful and flexible, which is the reason why we decided to provide our customers with VisiWin KEBA OEM, the optimal software solution for the KeTop T150’s performance,” says Dr. Christian Hüttner, HMI product manager at KEBA.

When designing the HMI solution based on VisiWin 7.2, it was ensured that KEBA customers who already use VisiWin or want to use the software beyond the handheld terminals can integrate the new handheld operating device into larger architectures as a VisiWin client. Beside the KeTop T150, the INOSOFT software can also be used on other handheld terminals of the series, which includes devices with 3“-10“ (mobile) displays and 12“-21“ (stationary) displays.

The cooperation started with the Windows CE-based T20 and T55 series. At that time, KEBA was looking for an established HMI software that was highly compatible with various PLCs. “Alternatively, our customers would have to program HMI systems themselves using high-level languages and also integrate the various PLCs themselves,” says Dr. Hüttner. “Considering the multitude of required functions and controllers, this would involve considerable effort for our customers. We are glad to have found VisiWin, which is exactly the product we needed.” 

The KeTop handheld terminals combine digital computing power with classic hardware buttons such as rotary encoder switch, emergency-stop button and enabling switch. „Due to the use of additional hardware components in the KeTop series, it is vitally important for KEBA that our solution has the ability to analyze the hardware components. The open concept and the availability of VisiWin both as a web-based and as a native solution allows us to meet this requirement,” says Stefan Niermann, sales manager at INOSOFT. “The formal cooperation and the VisiWin KEBA OEM take the long-standing, close collaboration between KEBA and INOSOFT to a whole new level.”

Among others, the IEE issue 01/2019, wirautomatisierer.de and SPS Automation Newsletter reported on the cooperation.