After-sales support has been top-of-mind and has driven a series of initiatives in Wyma’s Automation and Electrical Division. The main task has been the installation of remote VPN units on all line control systems built over the past months. A VPN allows connectivity by Wyma After-Sales for online service and technical assistance, ensuring customers receive the support they need without major interruptions to their washing and packing plants. Complementing this, a review of electrical hardware suppliers has been undertaken to ensure a global support network is available for quick spare parts dispatch should replacement be needed after fault diagnostic.

Wyma is also progressively implementing on-board electrics as a standard feature. A small compact panel built on each piece of equipment will offer line operators the flexibility for localised control of operations, or control from the plant central control system if applicable. Furthermore, these on-board electrics guarantee a Wyma compliant control system that can be easily integrated with an existing line control system at commissioning.

Wyma is also moving away from push-button panels, and implementing touch-screen Human Machine Interface (HMI) across both individual units and main line control systems. These HMIs can be replicated on smart devices if integrated into a wireless network, allowing remote operator control through smart phones, tablets or desktops.

“We have certainly made some good progress in recent months. We have carried out tasks such as standardising the appearance and operations of our HMI panels to offer a consistent terminology for our repeat customers, and establishing remote support. It’s all about making our control systems more user-friendly and more importantly, ensuring we can assist as quickly as possible if needed”, Cory Smitheram, Automation & Electrical Design Engineer.

If you have any questions about pack-house automation or about retrofitting connectivity capability to your Wyma control systems, please contact Cory on 021 627 227 or email service@wymasolutions.com