Nextema chooses Teicos to optimize Tempra Laser’s innovative technology. The challenge was exciting: enabling the operator to interact with the robot responsible for performing laser hardening as easily as possible — without carrying out programming tasks, but instead using guided procedures. The client therefore required a customized human-machine interface, fully managed through an onboard touchscreen panel, allowing the operator to monitor the system’s status, launch existing processing programs, and create new ones. All this without editing any programming code, but by relying on simple and intuitive interaction methods.

Teicos accepted and successfully tackled the challenge, leveraging the capabilities of Ignition, a software development platform for industrial applications distributed in Italy by EFA Automazione, part of the Relatech Group. The OPC-UA communication protocol, supported alongside many other options already available in Ignition, played a crucial role. This allowed effective management of process variables, enabling the transfer of values in a simple manner and, if necessary, the creation of new ones. It is through the OPC standard that Ignition, running on an industrial PC installed on the control panel, interfaces with the ABB robot.

The set of OPC-UA variables available to the operator for setting up the robotic hardening cell programs is the same for all programs. To create a new recipe, Teicos’ idea was to start from a blank program, to which the operator assigns a name and then uploads it via FTP to the OPC server of the controller. At this point, all OPC variables are instantiated and displayed with the values as they appear in the new recipe. The operator, using a dedicated interface, positions the robotic arm, observing its coordinates on the screen. During positioning, the coordinates are read via OPC, and when the operator selects the required point, they are saved and written into the program. At that point, it’s enough to insert the main processing parameters. If no changes are needed, the program is automatically saved. To preserve its integrity, Ignition ensures it is stored in a network share, which is backed up daily. The operator can then recall that program whenever they need to repeat the same process. Thus, there is no longer any need to perform specific programming tasks: everything is intuitively done using Ignition on a 17-inch touch screen monitor.

The intervention produced the expected results, solving the delays and disconnections reported by the client.

Ignition is the orchestrator of the entire system: the positioning of the arm, carrying the hardening nozzle, is managed by the robot, but the execution of the program is conditioned by what the user has set in terms of OPC variables. In order to complete the application from a traceability perspective, Teicos also implemented operator authentication functions on Ignition. Before starting a processing task and recording all parameters, the operator is required to authenticate via the touch screen. When the process is completed, the machine’s database stores the operator’s name, the produced parts, and the start and end times of the task. Using Ignition’s data management functions, the database can be queried, filtering data by day, month, processing code, and more.

Teicos also addressed the issue of remote assistance. Since hardening cells, especially during startup and first use at the end client’s site, often require specific support from Nextema, it was decided to use Ewon Flexy routers/gateways. Leveraging Talk2M, the industrial connectivity service from HMS Networks, setting up remote assistance through the Ewon routers does not require specific system operations. Talk2M uses VPN tunneling initialized by the Ewon routers and only utilizes outgoing connections.

No ports need to be enabled in the company’s firewall because no incoming connections are required. Information exchanged during communications is encrypted, and only authenticated users can connect. With this solution, it is possible to intervene remotely on almost the entire system, not only on Ignition and the industrial PC installed on the control panel but also on the ABB robot. Access to machines remotely is, of course, managed through a set of profiles that allow access at various levels via authentication. This mode enables both Nextema, which manages the maintenance of the ABB robots installed on the plant, and Teicos, which manages the Ignition platform, to carry out maintenance and/or configuration modifications quickly and effectively, without the need to be physically present to complete interventions.