grain Dryer touch screen controller
Sukup Manufacturing Co. is one of the largest grain storage and handling equipment manufacturers in the world. I was part of a team that helped develop a touch screen control platform for their grain dryers. The goal of the project was to simplify the control experience for the end user while also offering enhanced monitoring and efficiency through automated controls.
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Team:
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My Roll:
UX/UI Design |
Project Goals:
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Research:
Before developing the controller platform, our team conducted surveys and interviews with dryer operators and installers to determine pain points with the current analog control system as well as their desires and concerns in a touch screen controller.
Insights:
Before developing the controller platform, our team conducted surveys and interviews with dryer operators and installers to determine pain points with the current analog control system as well as their desires and concerns in a touch screen controller.
Insights:
- Many users expressed frustration with the complexity of analog controls and the lack of readily available monitoring information. This made it hard for them to train other workers how to operate the dryer, leaving them "tied" to the dryer during the busy harvest season.
- Although many users were interested in a touch screen control system, many had concerns about the durability of such a platform as the environment at dryer sites is very rugged.
- We also found there was higher-than-average general resistance to new technology amongst our target demographic.
challenges and solutions
Challenge 1: Durability and Reliability
As these touch screen panels would be exposed to the elements, including: rain, snow, dust & debris, and extreme temperatures, The first challenge was to design a system durable enough to withstand these extreme conditions.
SOLUTION:
To address this issue, we built the platform using a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). These offer an enhanced ability to withstand harsh conditions, creating a durable and reliable system.
Challenge 2: Lack of Screen Responsiveness
While we were confident our decision to focus on reliability was correct, building our platform with a PLC did create another challenge. PLC screens are less responsive than phone and tablet screens so our interface design would need to be adapted for this.
SOLUTION:
To accommodate for a less responsive screen, our interface incorporated many design features such as large buttons, increased spacing between clickable objects, and a pop-up touch pad interface for inputting values, rather than other elements such as sliders.
Challenge 3: Demographic Resistance to Change
Through our research we discovered that the demographic that comprised our persona user had a reluctance to try new technology. Some even believed that a computer-based touch screen system would be even harder to learn than the analog controls.
SOLUTION:
To curb this distrust of technology, we took a two pronged approach in our design. The first prong was to tailor the aesthetics of our design to be very simple and clean, and to incorporate an intuitive color scheme. The second was to include a robust set of training and troubleshooting tools into the design. These included video tutorials and .pdf operation manuals that could be accessed from within the platform.
As these touch screen panels would be exposed to the elements, including: rain, snow, dust & debris, and extreme temperatures, The first challenge was to design a system durable enough to withstand these extreme conditions.
SOLUTION:
To address this issue, we built the platform using a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). These offer an enhanced ability to withstand harsh conditions, creating a durable and reliable system.
Challenge 2: Lack of Screen Responsiveness
While we were confident our decision to focus on reliability was correct, building our platform with a PLC did create another challenge. PLC screens are less responsive than phone and tablet screens so our interface design would need to be adapted for this.
SOLUTION:
To accommodate for a less responsive screen, our interface incorporated many design features such as large buttons, increased spacing between clickable objects, and a pop-up touch pad interface for inputting values, rather than other elements such as sliders.
Challenge 3: Demographic Resistance to Change
Through our research we discovered that the demographic that comprised our persona user had a reluctance to try new technology. Some even believed that a computer-based touch screen system would be even harder to learn than the analog controls.
SOLUTION:
To curb this distrust of technology, we took a two pronged approach in our design. The first prong was to tailor the aesthetics of our design to be very simple and clean, and to incorporate an intuitive color scheme. The second was to include a robust set of training and troubleshooting tools into the design. These included video tutorials and .pdf operation manuals that could be accessed from within the platform.