For industrial motion and motor integration, AC and DC drives have become the standard control device of choice. Historically, drives have usually been installed with low-cost point wiring back to a PLC, but modern industrial performance expectations push for network-connected devices in both new and existing systems alike. Connecting a drive to a communication network…
Generally, a FLEX I/O line is a Distributed Input/Output System that connects to several Networks including EtherNet/IP, ControlNet, and DeviceNet. Being a bus coupler, the Flex I/O allows you to add different modules consisting of bases and I/O cards along the DIN rail. In particular, Flex I/O systems are flexible and modular providing all the…
Allen-Bradley’s Kinetix family of motion control components offers arguably the most versatile and reliable automated motion product line on the market today. Within the Kinetix family, we find solutions for every motion-kit component type downstream of the controller – encoders, servo drives, cabling, motors, and more. Kinetix servo drives are of particular interest given the vast range of performance and application options available. To…
Servo drives are an integral part of a servo system. Working in tandem with a motor, controller, and a feedback device, servo drives receive instructions from the controller for the prescribed motion for the motor. It then sends the right amount of electrical current to enable the motor to perform the motion required. There are…
So, can a microcontroller be used in place of a PLC? The answer is in a very narrow set of circumstances, such as straightforward control requirements in a low duty environment, then the answer is yes. However, the differences above highlight that PLCs are designed for industrial and high-volume service applications that require safety, redundancy, ease of programming, and a host of other features that microcontrollers cannot provide.
As smart factories, facilities and cities continue to grow, so does the need for improved visualization and functionality in Human Machine Interfaces (HMI). By bringing that visualization down to the operator and technician level at the machine level, machine state, error messaging, real-time running conditions, and other information can be graphically displayed to assist in…
