HMI: turn customization into a software update
Date: 06/25/2026 | By: IDEC EMEA
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A monthly newsletter from the IDEC EMEA team. As machine builders strive to deliver increasingly tailored solutions, operator interfaces must evolve just as quickly. Yet every hardware redesign adds cost, complexity, and delays. By replacing fixed membrane keypads with programmable touchscreens, manufacturers can simplify customization, improve durability, and prepare their equipment for future digital capabilities such as remote diagnostics and data collection. This European customer story shows how a simple HMI upgrade transformed both flexibility and long-term scalability.
The customer’s challenge:
The customer, a major manufacturer of robotic machine tool fabrication cells, required a reliable HMI solution for their high-speed gauging system. Their existing membrane keypad solution underwent frequent redesigns to meet customization requirements of customers and offered limited scope for future enhancements such as data collection and management.
The initial system in place:
Our initial site visit focused on understanding the existing system and its challenges. The membrane keypad controlled probe movement and positioning on the gauging system’s delta robot, providing functions such as start position, end position, and other peripheral controls. However, the keypad was rudimentary in design, making customization difficult and leaving it prone to damage and workplace vandalism.
The solution we provided:
The assessment highlighted the need for a robust, reprogrammable HMI capable of supporting customization requests while also enabling future data management and remote diagnostic capabilities.
The IDEC 7” HG2J PCAP touchscreen HMI met these requirements. Featuring an 800 × 480-pixel display and an IP66/67F-rated Projected Capacitive (PCAP) touchscreen, it is designed to withstand up to 14G of force, effectively negating the risk of mechanical damage. The HMI is fully programmable using IDEC’s Automation Organizer software suite, providing complete flexibility for graphics and interface design. It also supports a wide range of industrial communication protocols, including MQTT protocol, enabling operational data to be uploaded to cloud services and presented through intuitive reports. In addition, its built-in drivers for major control system manufacturers allowed straightforward integration into the existing system.
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