An Icon-Based HMI for Marlen/DuraKut Meat Processing Equipment

Marlen and DuraKut, manufacturers of industrial meat processing equipment deployed across global markets, faced a persistent usability challenge: their human-machine interfaces (HMIs) relied on text-based controls that created friction for operators across different language regions. Meat processing facilities operate under demanding conditions — high throughput, strict food safety requirements, and rapid line changeovers — leaving little margin for operator error caused by language ambiguity. As the equipment reached customers in non-English-speaking markets, training complexity increased and the risk of misoperation grew, creating both operational and food safety liabilities.

Marlen/DuraKut redesigned their equipment HMI using an icon-based interface built on Rockwell Automation's PanelView platform. Rather than relying on text labels that required translation and localization for each market, the new interface mapped all operator controls to universally recognizable icons — a design approach borrowed from consumer device conventions and adapted for industrial meat processing workflows. Rockwell Automation's PanelView hardware provided the display and interaction layer, while the icon-driven interface logic was configured to reflect the specific operational sequences of Marlen/DuraKut equipment. This approach eliminated the need for per-region software variants and simplified the operator training curriculum to a single, language-neutral format suitable for global deployment.

The icon-based HMI reduced the language barrier that had previously complicated operator onboarding and day-to-day equipment interaction across international installations. Key outcomes included:

• Universal usability: A single interface design now serves operators regardless of primary language, eliminating the need for region-specific HMI versions.
• Simplified training: Operators can learn equipment controls through visual recognition rather than text comprehension, reducing reliance on translated documentation.
• Reduced misoperation risk: Clearer, symbol-based controls lower the probability of operator error during high-speed production runs where reading speed and comprehension are under pressure.

• Icon-based HMI design is a practical strategy for food processing equipment manufacturers targeting global markets, reducing localization overhead without sacrificing usability.
• Standardizing on a single interface variant simplifies both software maintenance and field support across geographies.
• Partnering with an established PLC and HMI platform provider (such as Rockwell Automation) allows equipment OEMs to leverage proven display hardware rather than building custom solutions.
• The transition from text-based to icon-based controls should involve usability validation with operators from target markets to ensure icons translate across cultural contexts.
• Food safety implications make HMI clarity a compliance concern, not just a convenience — reducing ambiguity at the interface level directly supports safer production outcomes.