Panel Top HAND-TRAK

HAND-TRAK Keeps Remote Workstations Working

In a coal-fired power plant, the ability to add points of access to the process control system offered the potential of improved response times and yield, when the need for occasional adjustment to the processes were identified by personnel out in the plant away from the central control room.

Steel workstation enclosures provided protection, for computers and displays, from corrosive particulates and sources of moisture. 

The plan had been to place ordinary computer mice at the stations for control of the process and to simply replace them when they failed. 

It was quickly found that when personnel needed to use the control station, the mice were often dead, eliminating the expected benefits of having control available out next to the process.  The nature of the operation would result in a given workstation not being used for two or three days, during which contaminants were doing their worst to the exposed input devices.  While the plant had considerable dust suppression in place to prevent dust escaping the facility, there was plenty around inside, in the very areas that could benefit most from direct access to the control system.

It was determined that realizing the expected benefits required that the input device be, above all other characteristics, dependable.  Several devices, all costing well over $300 had been tried over time and all became unreliable after a few weeks in the operating environment.  Even the input device shown below, a trackball with a stainless steel case and stainless steel ball with a dust seal around the ball became unusable in short order.  While this device could be cleaned and made to work after some effort, the time to do that robbed the operation of much of the planned efficiency.

HAND-TRAK Comes To The Rescue...

Ultimately the operation decided to try ITAC Systems’ HAND-TRAK as it claimed to be virtually impervious to the types of contaminants that were common in some areas of a coal fired electrical generation plant.  They learned that the HAND-TRAK, while not as well suited to desktop office usage as ITAC's MOUSE-TRAK Trackballs, provided an excellent solution to their “out in the plant” problem.

The HAND-TRAK, being completely sealed, was not readily contaminated. Even if dust piled up on top of it, a swipe of the hand cleared it off and had the unit ready to run.After several months of usage in an initial test with a small number of units, additional HAND-TRAKs have been placed into use and the planned for efficiency gains from putting control stations out in the tough environment of the plant are being realized.  The lead systems support technician has stated that being able to take “check and see if any of the mice have died” off the daily schedule has been a real benefit to his staff, in addition to the benefits of improved process control.

HAND-TRAK, based on ITAC Systems’ Gestural Input Engine™ technology, is sealed, has no moving parts and is available in a variety of configurations including panel top (shown), panel mount (for mounting through a panel), and with a USB or a PS2 interface.  Priced at $250 for the panel top configuration and $225 for the panel mount, HAND-TRAK is a cost effective alternative to more expensive devices, which did not perform well in the dusty and damp in-plant world of a coal-fired electrical power generating plant.

ITAC’s MOUSE-TRAK trackballs are widely used in industrial automation in control rooms throughout the world.  MOUSE-TRAKs are known for the extraordinary reliability of the MOUSE-TRAK Industrial models as well as the ergonomic benefits of both the Industrial and professional (office) models. HAND-TRAK now extends reliable user interface hardware from the control room to the real world of the plant floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAND-TRAK Product Information