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I have no experience with PLC's and have been tasked to automate some old equipment 1

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RPosty

Mechanical
Mar 13, 2014
162
We Have several types of lapping machines I maintain that all work basically the same, I am thinking a PLC may be a good choice. Here is how basically every piece of equipment works:
1. Operator sets an old resettable mechanical Timer to desired cycle time from 10 seconds to 30mins or more.
2. Press Start
3. Slurry Pump comes on Table starts to rotate (Motor is VSD controlled mostly Yaskawa V1000's)
4. during run, they squirt lamp oil as a lube as motor current raises.
5. cycle stops, they raise the air cylinders and pull their product.
6. they reset to beginning of cycle

what they want to do:
1. is automate the lube application based on motor current.
2. automate cycle duration based on table temperature

What I would like to do:
1. Use a PLC with a touch screen to replace the Timers and buttons.
2. use current sensors and infrared sensors to control pumps with specific setpoints.

What PLC mfg is reasonably priced and fairly easy to set up?


"I am stuck on Band-Aid brand, 'cause they are stuck on me"
 
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I'd use a CLICK from AutomationDirect.com and a CMORE HMI display. They play together very well and they have pretty good tech support.

You would also need an enclosure if there's nothing currently there to safely house the PLC in.

There are other PLCs on the market that are the HMI and PLC all in the same, fatter, enclosure but I can't personally recommend any.

Keith Cress
kcress -
 
Automation Direct is definitely the least expensive PLC out there. You will probably need an analog input to measure the motor current. That will tend to limit the low cost PLC range a bit.
 
I have used Horner (all-in-one) products in previous life. They worked for me and the configuration software was free.
Easy to program as well.

 
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