Group

Increased IT security requirements: KHS provides customer-oriented HMI upgrades

Many older operator consoles (HMIs) have been discontinued by the manufacturers.

  • Systems safeguarded against malware attacks
  • KHS enables long-term availability of spare parts
  • KHS ReDiS remote maintenance option

Dortmund, November 14, 2019 – Many older operator consoles (HMIs) have been discontinued by the manufacturers. As a result operators are anxious about the lack of available spare parts and the threat posed by security flaws in old systems. KHS solves this problem by offering HMI upgrades with increased customer benefits. The Dortmund systems supplier thus enables a long-term supply of spare parts and meets increased IT security requirements.

“We’re seeing a clear trend towards IT security in customer inquiries for HMI upgrades. Besides the availability of spare parts our customers also expect additional options which safeguard their lines and machines against the threat of malware,” says Matthias Jansen, head of the Technical Support Service Division. KHS offers suitable systems and solutions to meet these demands.

During an upgrade to the current 2.0 version of the KHS HMI, which includes a ReDiS1 remote maintenance option, the engineering company takes the customer’s individual initial situation into account so that he or she can also safely operate his or her plant machinery in the future.

Whitelisting for old and new HMI versions

In order to block any potential malware attacks, KHS has introduced a special whitelisting system for old and new versions of the HMI. For machines with a version 1.0 HMI KHS provides whitelisting as a way of safeguarding systems against threats by installing a software upgrade. KHS goes one step further with the hardware upgrade which includes a current operating system to improve performance. “One major benefit is that both whitelisting and the HMI hardware upgrade can be installed in just under two hours,” explains Jansen. Installation or replacement is thus possible during the course of regular maintenance. “With our systems and solutions we offer operators a high level of security and availability for their KHS lines and machines which have been running reliably for years,” Jansen concludes.

1KHS ReDiS stands for Remote Diagnostic Service, an extensive remote maintenance option.

About KHS GmbH

KHS GmbH is one of the leading manufacturers of filling and packaging systems for the beverage, food and non-food industries. The KHS Group includes the following companies: KHS GmbH, KHS Corpoplast GmbH and numerous subsidiaries outside Germany, located in Ahmedabad (India), Sarasota and Waukesha (USA), Zinacantepec (Mexico), São Paulo (Brazil) and Suzhou (China).

KHS GmbH manufactures modern filling and packaging systems for the high-capacity range at its headquarters in Dortmund, Germany, and at its factories in Bad Kreuznach, Kleve and Worms. The group's PET expertise is pooled at KHS Corpoplast GmbH in Hamburg, Germany, where innovative PET packaging and coating systems are developed and produced. KHS is a wholly owned subsidiary of the SDAX-listed Salzgitter AG corporation.

In 2018 the KHS Group and its 5,081 employees achieved a turnover of around €1.161 billion.

HMI upgrade

KHS provides customer-oriented HMI upgrades. The Dortmund systems supplier thus enables a long-term supply of spare parts and meets increased IT security requirements.

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Matthias Jansen

“With our systems and solutions we offer operators a high level of security and availability for their KHS lines and machines which have been running reliably for years,” says Matthias Jansen, head of the Technical Support Service Division.

Download image (JPG, 285 KB)

New HMI panel

KHS satisfies the demand for an increased level of IT security with its HMI upgrade.

Download image (JPG, 246 KB)

24/7 Service-HelpDesk

Help with faults or questions on the topic of spare parts?

+49 231 569 10000

Or write an e-mail to

helpdesk[at]khs.com

Christian Wopen
Sputnik GmbH
Phone +49 251 625 561 21
wopen[at]sputnik-agentur.de