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14. august, 2026
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When Ringsaker municipality upgraded the control network on its pump stations, they sought to reduce costs and simplify maintenance. Instead of installing traditional physical operator panels (HMI screens), they chose Guard Mobile HMI – a mobile-based solution. The project has resulted in lower investment costs, drastically reduced installation times, and increased operational flexibility.

The Challenge: High Costs and Complex Maintenance

Ringsaker is one of the largest municipalities in Innlandet, Norway, covering a vast geographical area with numerous water and wastewater (VA) facilities.

Traditionally, pump stations require a physical HMI screen in the building for local monitoring and control. However, this model presented several challenges:

  1. High Hardware Costs: A physical HMI screen costs approximately 10,000 NOK. For nearly 200 stations, hardware alone would exceed 2 million NOK.
  2. Time-Consuming Setup: Traditional screens require 2 to 3 weeks of drawing, programming, and commissioning per station.
  3. Inconvenient Operation: Technicians had to physically enter small, cold, and noisy pump stations to operate the machinery.

The Solution: Guard Mobile HMI

In collaboration with Guard Automation, Ringsaker municipality helped develop and deploy Guard Mobile HMI, which shifts the operator panel from a physical screen to the operator's smartphone or tablet.

”Guard Mobile HMI is used by most of us, and overall we are very satisfied. We avoid installing screens in every station and can control the facilities directly from our mobile phones.”
— Kai Olafsen, Working Leader in Technical Operations, Ringsaker Municipality

Key Features of Guard Mobile HMI:

  • Autogenerated Code: Instead of manual programming and screen design, the HMI updates automatically via autogenerated PLC code.
  • Local Offline Operations: The system runs on a local Wi-Fi network. Operators can access and control the pump station even if the connection to the external network or SCADA system fails.
  • Enhanced Security: Supports integration with Microsoft AD, two-factor and biometric authentication, and encrypted communication via the Guard Industrial Gateway.

The Results: Dramatic Time and Cost Savings

The mobile HMI solution is now active on approximately 140 pump stations in Ringsaker.

  • Setup Time Reduced from Weeks to One Hour: Deploying the mobile HMI on a new station now takes about an hour, compared to weeks of manual programming for traditional panels.
  • Improved Working Conditions: Operators can sit in their service vehicles outside the station to monitor and adjust systems rather than standing inside noisy pump house environments.
  • Lower Lifecycle Costs: No physical screens to repair, replace, or manually update.