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Recognized as global experts in communication, monitoring and control for industrial automation and networking, Red Lion Controls has been delivering innovative solutions that enable companies worldwide to gain real-time data visibility that drives productivity.

The company has now come up with the newest generation of Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) – the Graphite series of advanced operator interface panels. With a cast-aluminum construction, the new Graphite series provides the industry’s first rugged HMI solution to combine a wide range of versatile plug-in modules with protocol conversion, data logging and Web-based monitoring and control.

The new plug-in modules are ideal for industries such as manufacturing, oil and gas, and water/wastewater. These models help customers to connect, monitor and control their process and are best suited for harsh outdoor environments, ranging from -20 degrees to 60 degrees (Celsius).

"We have used just about everyone's HMIs, and Graphite is by far the best in terms of appearance and functionality," said Pierre de Giorgio, president at BlueBay Automation. "It is the most feature-rich HMI that we have ever used, the graphics and resolution are amazing, and with Red Lion's Crimson 3.0 software, the move to Graphite is seamless."

Built with maximum flexibility in mind, the Graphite series enables customers to select the display size and plug-in modules that best meet current automation requirements. The company has currently released eight different models, with sizes starting from 7” to 15”. The sleek Graphite bezels offers a better display and the 7” and 10” HMIs are available as sunlight visible models.

What’s more, Graphite HMIs comes with a built-in server, which is useful for users to monitor and control their application via PCs, tablets or smartphones. In addition to this, SMS text-messaging and e-mail alerts provide early warning of process issues, which helps to avoid costly downtime.

"The HMI has become the nexus of the machine, and Red Lion's new Graphite series offers the highest level of protocol support to simplify even the most complex multi-vendor environments," said Jeff Thornton, director of product management at Red Lion Controls. "By logging performance data and critical events, customers can implement process improvements or perform fault-finding activities."