Industrial Automation

What is PLC?

PLC applications can be categorized in two groups: General and Industrial applications are present in both discrete and process industries. Automotive, which is the birth sector of PLCs, continues to be the largest application field of PLCs. There are four main application fields of PLCs in developing sectors throughout the world such as food processing and services. A typical installation solves the control system problem including one or more of these fields. These four fields are as follows:

SEQUENCE CONTROL

Sequence control is the biggest and most widely used application of PLC which is the closest one to relay systems with its “sequential operation” feature. In terms of application, it is used in independent machines or machine lines, conveyor and packaging machines and even in modern elevator control systems.

MOTION CONTROL

Motion control is integration of linear and circular motion control systems in PLC and it can be a single or multiple-axis system control which can be used in servo step and drivers. PLC motion control applications include an infinite machine variety (for example metal cutting, metal shaping and montage machines). They can be coordinated in shock motion axis, discrete item and process industry applications. Processing related to network such as artesian robots, film, rubber and unprocessed clothe textile systems can be given as examples.

PROCESS CONTROL

This application is related to PLC’s capability of controlling more than one physical parameter (heat, pressure, flow, pace, weight etc.). This requires analog I/O in order to establish a control system for looping a damper. With usage of PID software, undertook the function of single loop controllers. Another option is to integrate PLC and controllers using their best features. Plastic injection machines, re-heating ovens and several other batch-control applications are typical examples of process control.

DATA MANAGEMENT

Data collection, examination and processing with PLC developed in recent years. With advanced training sets and improved memory capacities of new PLCs, the system now can be used as data condenser for the machine or process it controls. Then, this data is compared with the reference data in the memory of the controller or it can be transferred to another device for examination or reporting. This application is frequently used in huge material processing systems and several process industries such as paper, primary metals and food processing.