Fully Integrated Redundant Storage and Network Devices Make AIS's New Open Platform Industrial Panel PCs and HMI Systems Achieve Higher Availability for Customers


AIS's HMIs with Standard Ethernet, TCP/IP and IP-Enabled Technologies and Built-In Hardware Redundancy Features Optimize Machine Operation, Availability and Productivity



IRVINE, CALIFORNIA – American Industrial Systems, Inc. (AIS), the leading designer and manufacturer of flexible, scalable and open platform Operator Interfaces And Panel PCs, announces its "High Available (HA) HMI Systems" design for manufacturability services for continuous operator control and data integrity. Planned and un-scheduled downtime of a HMI control and monitoring system can wreak havoc on a company's operational performance and efficiency. Therefore, they require HMI control and monitoring solutions that provide high availability and maximum uptime. AIS's new industrial panel designs incorporate built-in redundant storage & network devices, standard Ethernet and TCP/IP network connections, a PCIe expansion slot and multiple inputs and outputs as standard features on their HMI systems. A modular box processor design offers unprecedented flexibility and scalability for customers. AIS's "high availability HMI systems design for manufacturability services" optimizes machine and system operation, availability and productivity. All combined, AIS's newly integrated features and HMI technologies ensure maximum uptime for customers' HMI systems by minimizing downtime.  AIS HMI operator interface panels provide seamless integration, flexibility, scalability, and interoperability solutions to meet the increasingly complex processes of new applications, machines and systems.



AIS's Robust HMIs Featuring Dual Redundancy Capabilities and Open Network Platforms Deliver Real Time Data Processing & Transparency



Essentially, factories and plants today operate in real-time. Real-time operational processes require complete transparency and integration of all real-time data sources, data storage, network communication and existing systems. Engineered to be a scalable, open network platform with redundancy storage, AIS's high availability HMI solutions ensure continuous control and monitoring of HMI applications. Utilizing 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors, with increased memory up to 16 GB and built-in hardware redundancy to meet the demand for enhanced speed and performance, AIS offers high available HMI panel PCs to support a range of industry requirements. Real-time data control, data acquisition and processing is critical in the Oil & Gas industry. In this industry, real-time operational control centers are responsible for 24x7 monitoring of drilling and other activities and related environmental conditions. Typical requirements include the real-time monitoring of the well head and well bore, seismic activity, steam migration and flow rates. Integration is required across a broad range of data sources and sensor types, including pressure, temperature and equipment performance.



Safeguard Real Time Data Performance and Reliability with AIS's RAID Protection HMIs



The amount of real time data produced today at factories and plants is staggering, so it is critical for industrial and commercial automation applications to protect it. Powered by Intel® Rapid Storage and Intel® Matrix Storage Technologies, AIS's new open touch panel solutions provide superior protection and data performance with high availability HMI platforms. Whether using one or multiple hard drives, users can take advantage of high performance and secure drives with lower power consumption. When using more than one drive, users have additional protection against data loss in the event of hard drive failure or data loss. AIS's new smart panel HMIs utilize Intel's® Rapid Storage Technology. This storage technology improves performance and data reliability for disk-intensive retrieval applications. For the fastest performance, AIS panel PCs can combine two SSDs in a configuration known as "RAID level 0 (Striping)", so data can be accessed on each drive simultaneously, speeding up response time. AIS's panel PCs can also provide added protection from disastrous hard drive failures by mirroring all data among two SSDs. This configuration is known as "RAID level 1 (Mirroring)" which provides additional reliability by mirroring all data among two drives respectively.



With Dual-Gigabit Capabilities, AIS's Smart Panel PCs Increase Network Uptime and Ensure Device Connectivity



Data acquisition, processing and analytics occur almost instantly at high speed factories and plants today. AIS high available, Gigabit Ethernet powered by Intel® Gigabit Ethernet Technology provides dual-gigabit scalability and increased uptime. It supports easy & cost-effective 10/100/1000 migration over CAT-5 cabling. Intel's® AMT 6.0 with pre-set system defense filters, reduces support costs with remote management based on industry-wide standards, supports jumbo frames, RSS, and dual TX/RX queues. It enables high-density networking in HMI embedded applications and provides high performance, reliability, and low power consumption with a single integrated Gigabit Ethernet controller chip.



AIS Open Platform HMIs Offer Standard Ethernet and TCP/IP Protocols for Easy Implementation in Industrial Automation and Process Control Applications



Open connectivity between all devices and data sharing are major factors in successfully implementing new open systems and a network's architecture for industrial automation and process applications today and more so in the future. With IT convergence and internet technologies taking hold, there is a trend toward newer, open embedded industrial computing and standard networking technologies for industrial automation and process control networks. Historically, industrial automation and control systems were limited to discrete, process and batch level communications and information sharing, now manufacturers need their HMI/SCADA systems to interact in real-time with the other enterprise applications, supply chain partners, and end-user customers. To accomplish this, manufacturers are turning to AIS's open platform and network architecture HMIs with standard Ethernet, TCP/IP and IP-enabled technologies for their manufacturing environment. By moving to AIS and standard technologies, manufacturers can achieve:



• Higher Cost Savings: Standard Ethernet and TCP/IP technology has greater market penetration and is more likely than to give manufacturers a significantly lower total cost of ownership (TCO) that existing technologies currently in place.

• Improved Maintenance at a Lower Cost: As access to skilled production staff becomes difficult and too costly, legacy industrial automation and control technology is becoming more complex to maintain than standard Ethernet and TCP/IP networking technology.

• Enhanced Application Flexibility: Standard Ethernet and TCP/IP technology allows for rapid production gains, new functionality and evolving capabilities in the manufacturing environment to support enterprise requirements.

• Increased Efficiency with Lower Capital Investments: Standard Ethernet and TCP/IP technology eases integration with business systems by using a common network to share information between production and business systems.



AIS's high available HMI system also provides operators and engineers the power to precisely monitor and control every aspect of their manufacturing environment, equipment and resources. The result is a faster response to equipment operation issues, enabling reduced waste, improved quality, faster time-to-market and increased overall profitability.



AIS's New "Modular Design" HMI Technologies are Built-to-Order (BTO) and Field Replaceable Unit (FRU) Capabilities for Easy Upgrades and Maintenance



AIS operator interfaces and panel PCs are designated as Built-to-Order (BTO) and Field Replaceable Units (FRUs) that can be quickly and easily upgraded and/or maintain directly from touch screen display or/and industrial PC units. AIS's HMIs can be replaced by the user or a technician without having to send an entire unit to the facility. This greatly improves Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) performance.



AIS's newest family of operator interfaces and panel PCs feature a highly modular design and provide a complete range of HMI solutions that allows touchscreen display and industrial Box PC built to specific customer needs and requirements. AIS's modularized HMI operator interface panels are configured to suit a wide variety of applications including chemical manufacturing, water & waste water treatment, pharmaceutical, energy, food, oil & gas, automotive and general industrial and commercial automation. AIS Operator Interface Panels also offer an open-architecture that communicates directly with PLCs, SCADA, MES, DCS, or ICS to facilitate industrial process automation control and monitoring. The new open, PC-based control and monitoring solutions support M2M, Industry 4.0, and IoT applications.  Five-wire analog resistive touch screens (35 million touches) are available in 12.1", 15", 17", 19", 21.5" (HD/IPS) and 24" (HD/IPS) models.



About AIS

Headquartered in Irvine, California, USA, American Industrial Systems, Inc. (AIS) offers in-house electronic and mechanical design, software development, Manufacturing, Production and Quality Control Services. Offering one of the widest ranges of Industrial Computing offerings, AIS control and monitoring solutions are available in a multitude of configurations for Industrial, Oil & Gas, Military and Marine applications. The company is fully committed to empowering, improving and delivering turnkey HMI, monitoring and display solutions for OEM, ODM and end-user customers.



AIS is an ISO 9001:2008 certified supplier and manufacturer of rugged computers and displays, and received completion of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) registration from the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC). For more information, visit: www.aispro.com, email: sales@aispro.com or contact: 1-888-485-6688.



Media Relations Contact:

American Industrial Systems, Inc.

David G. Martorana

Marketing Communications & Public Relations

Email: dgmcreative@sbcglobal.net






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