October, 2017
www.us-tech.com
Creating the Best User Experience for Wire Processing Equipment
By Patrick Moroney, Product Marketing Manager, Komax Wire
when we encounter substandard design, we notice it right away. We demand and expect a good user experience from the products we use in our person- al life. We should also expect an equivalent experi- ence in the tools, equipment and machinery we operate in our work life. This year, Komax AG, a global wire process-
A
ing equipment manufacturer, in close collabora- tion with the Vetica Group, an international brand and design agency, received the “Red Dot Design Award” in the industrial equipment category for its benchtop Mira 230 programmable wire stripping machine. Since 1954, Red Dot teams of international jurors have evaluated product de signs over a wide range of criteria including innovation, functionality, ergonom- ics, and overall quality. This year, 2017, marks the very first wire pro- cessing platform to win.
Designing UI and UX Leveraging key aspects of
human-centered design, the Komax/ Vetica team cost-effectively developed an ergonomic wire processing plat- form with an excellent user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). This successful combination of industrial and human-centered design has also been carried over to subsequent benchtop platforms, such as the Mira 340 programmable rotary wire strip- ping machine, launched at the 2017 Electrical Wire Processing Technol ogy Expo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.. Both the Mira 230 [AWG 32 to 8
(0.03 to 8 mm2)] and Mira 340 [AWG 36 to 6 (0.013 to 16 mm2)], are well- represented in their respective classes, regarding operational range, price/per- formance, and overall functionality. The Mira 230 and 340 are designed for the precision stripping and trimming of discrete wire, as well as processing multi-conductor cables, and multilayer insulation, over a broad range of wire and insulation categories. Hardware excellence and per-
formance aside, what makes these products most appealing are the fol- lowing five interface design princi- ples and characteristics incorporated in both Mira platforms:
All platform power operations are accessible from the front. For the Mira platforms, the main switch, an illuminated pushbutton, is promi- nently accessible to the user on the front panel. The button controls power on, enter sleep mode, power off, and can function as an emergency stop.
All parameters necessary for sys- tem operation are visible on the front panel. A 5 in. (12.7 cm), high- resolution touchscreen display pro- vides ready access to required informa- tion and settings, as well as a visual representation of the wire to be processed. A combination of swipes, arrows, +/- onscreen buttons and the use of a jog dial navigates and adjusts processing parameters. The jog dial is rotated and depressed by the operator in selecting and confirming processing parameters. The touchscreen may be easily calibrated to amplify sensitivity and responsiveness.
Icons and imagery are self- explanatory and consistent with
Mira 230 programmable wire stripping machine.
s consumers, we pay attention to the look and feel of our smartphones, car interiors, kitchen appliances, keyboards, and apps. In fact,
those in day-to-day use. The standard “main menu” button (three stacked horizontal lines),
with which smartphone users are familiar, is always visible and leads the user to all available submenus. All icons are self explanatory and grounded in common sense. When the operator is uncertain, tapping on
an icon reveals onscreen help information in the specified language of the user. Fly-in panels are utilized as required for special and/or infre- quently used menu actions. A “toolbox” submenu is always accessible. This submenu provides use- ful conversions, a wire gauge reference, and
Continued on page 72
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See at productronica, Hall A2 Booth 135
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