We found 165 posts about Comparison Guides from DO Supply, a global automation parts
reseller focused on hard-to-find and obsolete industrial automation products.
The use of motors in modern society is staggering. It is estimated that motor systems alone account for as much as 47% of the world’s electricity usage. Further, within manufacturing environments, industrial motor systems account for 70% of all electricity used. Intersecting this reality is the fact that as technology in the form of software, AI, cloud-based systems and other advances continues to grow, opportunities exist to improve the performance and efficiency of industrial motor systems through monitoring, automation and more precise management of the entire system. Today, the norm is to link the control of these motors into entire ecosystems to run production lines on scale with better performance for the system overall. Two Approaches to Motor Speed Control To make these complex systems work and to leverage the benefits of an integrated control system, it is important for users to be able to control the most integral cog in the equipment itself – the motor. Performing the...
The Kinetix 5500 and 5700 series servo drives offer innovative responses to automation and motion control needs for any system. Combined with the right Kinetix VP servo motors, these systems optimize space and are easier and simpler to use. Because they integrate motion control on EtherNet/IP, a dedicated motion network is not required. This allows for as much as a 60% reduction in cabling and eliminates the requirement for gateways to send and receive data from far away networks. The 5500 comes in 6 sizes while the 5700 series comes in 18 sizes. The 5500 and 5700 work with Kinetix VP servo motors for optimal performance. Kinetix VP servo motors are designed for specific applications such as food grade, continuous duty, low inertia and others. This gives users a motion control system customized for their specific applications. Because Kinetix servo motors have unique winding technology and a DSL encoder onboard, they can connect to smart cable technology to allow communication to the...
PowerFlex low voltage AC drives can be used in a wide variety of control solutions. The PowerFlex family of controllers ranges from low end applications for more simple control needs to more advanced and feature rich models that increase capabilities such as precise positioning and advanced torque control. The PowerFlex family is also easy to program and configure and offers the familiarity of a common user experience regardless of the model selected. This is true for both compact PowerFlex drives used in simple applications at the machine level or in stand alone configuration as well as for architecture sized models with more advanced features and precision built for integration into a factory level or production line control system. The result of this level of flexibility and common software utilization means that the PowerFlex family offers many advantages such as: Low Cost – The range of functionality is so broad along the PowerFlex family that you can choose the right package of...
The GE Fanuc Series 90-30 has long been a workhorse PLC for GE automation control systems. Introduced in 1991, the 90-30 series has been a popular choice for industrial control professionals because of its versatility and modularity. By contrast, the RX3i CPU Programmable Automation Controller by GE Automation represents the move toward a more comprehensive view of automation and one that both builds on the foundation laid by the 90-30 series while offering even more advanced features and versatility. GE 90-30 Series General Specifications and Features That the 90-30 series lasted for the better part of 30 years is a testament to its popularity. By offering a platform that addressed space concerns as well as cost effectiveness, the 90-30 has been known for ease of programming and their ability to be operated through a variety of inputs. The versatility of the 90-30 series is due to its large variety of CPUs, and each of the 11 available CPUs can accept multiple expansion modules for...
The Allen-Bradley Logix family of controllers is considered the most popular programmable logic controller family in the US. It consists of numerous variants but for this comparison we will look at the ControlLogix, CompactLogix and MicroLogix PLCs. By comparison, Siemens is much more common in Europe where their extensive line of PLCs are used in automation control systems throughout industries. The Siemens PLC equivalents for Allen-Bradley’s Logix family members above are part of the Siemens SIMATIC controller family and consist of the S7-200, S7-300, and S7-400 as direct comparisons. General Differences Before diving into unit by unit comparisons, we can first discuss some general differences between the Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLC lines: Performance – Both Allen Bradley and Siemens PLC groups have similar speeds and reliability. Their outputs are also close in number as well. The main differences in performance comes in their ease of use and how they integrate into control...
Like the other entrants in the MicroLogix series, the MicroLogix 1500 is small and can be expanded to fit a wide range of control and communication requirements. The 1500 is also expandable to 512 I/O points and is the most powerful in the MicroLogix family in terms of capabilities. As an addition to the MicroLogix 1100 and 1200 series family members, The MicroLogix 1500 has three base options with a removable processor and an updateable flash OS. With its numerous embedded as well as expandable I/O, the 1500 is a workhorse within the MicroLogix family. Main differences between the 1500 and other MicroLogix family members include: Central Processing Unit – Perhaps the biggest distinction between the MicroLogix 1500 and the other members of the MicroLogix Family is that the 1500 is a two-part system. One component consists of the controller, of which there are three base models, the 1764-24BWA, the 1764-24AWA and the 1764-28BXB. The second component is the central processing unit...
In today’s connected factory, visualization and interaction through human machine interfaces (HMI) are critical components of any control system. The PanelView family of HMI devices from Allen-Bradley is ideal for small, medium and large HMI systems. By leveraging the power of these devices, HMIs become scalable, adaptable and perfect for managing critical data and machine level inputs. Before you can determine whether the PanelView 700 or PanelView 1000 is best suited for your needs, one must understand that there are several families within the PanelView ecosystem. Each of these family groups have a 700 and 100 series, but there are differences in the two programming platforms that should be considered. An older offering from the Allen-Bradley line, the PanelView 6 consists of the PanelView Plus 6 and the PanelView Plus 6 Compact. The PanelView Plus 6 platform is used for applications with a larger footprint that connect with many controllers. This platform supports older...
The MicroLogix 1400 series was designed to be small, versatile and expandable to suit a variety of control and communication needs. These controllers offer EtherNet/IP, as well as online editing of programming. They also feature a larger number of I/O compared to other MicroLogix family members. And the MicroLogix 1400 series can enhance network functionality and offer a range of features to help build a customized control solution for a wide range of applications. As part of a family of small programmable logic controllers, the MicroLogix 1400 offers a step up with an expansion of capabilities over other members in this family. Built upon the successful capabilities of the MicroLogix 1100, the 1400 series offers many of the same features but with a more robust feature set on some functionalities including: Increased I/O – The 1400 increases the embedded digital I/O count from 16 in the 1100 to 32. It also doubles the embedded analog I/O on some versions from the 2 offered by the 1000...
We are living in an ever-connected world. It is expected that by 2025, there will be over 75 billion connected devices worldwide. And while personal gadgets, smart homes and smart cities account a large part of those devices, there is an equally fervent push to digitize and automate factories as well. One estimate states that by the end of 2020, 80% of manufacturing companies will adopt some type of IoT technology. And the same urgency of adoption is taking place in utilities, transportation and logistics. In the industrial, warehousing and utilities sectors, much of this control is aimed at empowering the automation of equipment to perform tasks at a faster, more accurate and more productive rate. And this equipment needs control systems and ever improving control technology to adapt to these new requirements. It is easy to assume that these requirements involve large and complex buildouts connecting an entire factory or enterprise. And while that is certainly the case for larger...
Starting and stopping seem like simple concepts. But when it comes to motor controls, not only the speed of the stop and start matter, but “how” they stop matters as well. Starting solutions come in a wide array of options. Across-the-line starters are the simplest style of motor starter. Here, full voltage is applied to the motor terminals for situations where the inrush current of the motor does not cause excessive voltage drops within the supply circuit. This is often the case for simple pumps, compressors and conveyors. For applications requiring greater loads and for high degrees of variation of the specific loads placed on motors, variable frequency drives (VFD) may be used. These drives consist of an AC motor, a main drive controller and an operator/drive interface. Because of their range of speed and control, VFDs are used for process control across a variety of industrial and commercial applications for speed, flow, pressure, temperature and torque, as well as many others...
In today’s manufacturing environments, few companies can remain competitive without extensive industrial automation. Automation speeds processes, reduces errors, allows for precision manufacturing and ensures factory level control and maintenance over the system of production. It also reduces operator fatigue by eliminating manual tasks thus improving quality. Just as important as the automation functions are the safety features built into the controllers that drive this automation. These safety features are created by use of safety circuits within the automation control panels themselves and are first and foremost designed to provide safe operation for equipment operators and technicians. Aside from reducing risk of injury to those performing tasks on the equipment, safety circuits within control panels also reduce risk by allowing for safe operation to protect damage to expensive capital equipment and to reduce waste through loss of material caused by equipment malfunction. As a...
There are hundreds of Allen Bradley 1336 Drives, all of which are controlled by a microprocessor. We focus on comparing the technical specs of the Allen Bradley 1336 Drives, IMPACT Drives, and PLUS Drives in this post. Check out details on Allen Bradley 1336 Drives based on your desired specifications and see the link in each section for further insight. Allen Bradley 1336 Drives are adjustable frequency AC drives that feature handheld programming terminals. The drives are microprocessor-controlled and high-performance units that guide 3-phase industrial applications. The output voltage is determined as a function of the output frequency and adjusts for alignment with motor parameters. Catalog # Input Voltage Hz Phases Amps Out KVA Out @ 380V AC KVA Out @ 415V AC KVA Out at 460V AC Enclosure Type 1336-B003-EAD 380/415/460V AC 50/60 3 6 3.9 4.3 4.8 NEMA Type 1 (IP20) 1336-B005-EAD-FA2 380/415/460V AC 50/60 3 9.6 6.3 6.9 7.6 NEMA Type 1 (IP20) 1336-B007-EAD-FA2 380/415/460V AC 50/60 3...
Allen Bradley has two classes of low voltage drives, their Compact Class and their Architecture Class. The PowerFlex 7x families are part of the Architecture Class of drive, with the 70/700 series being the previous generation to the current 75x series drives. First off, one note about these drives. They are the previous generation of drives from Allen Bradley, and while many of the various models are still being supported by AB as Active Mature products, many of these drives are no longer being offered or supported. If you’re looking to upgrade an existing drive and are looking at the 70/700 series, you should also look at the 753 and 755 series drives. A drives expert can help you with the corresponding drive in both families, a conversation that is definitely worth having. The Powerflex 70 drive is the baseline model of the 7x families of Architecture Class drives. With power ranges from 0.5 through 50HP, and voltage ranges of 200-600VAC, these drives can handle pretty much all but...
Before we dive into the specifics of this processor selection guide, it is important to bring up a few points about picking a controller. While the controller is the main piece to a control system, the best controller will fail if the remainder of the control system isn’t paired properly with it. The biggest, baddest controllers will cover for a lot of mistakes throughout the rest of your system, but they’ll expose just as many weaknesses as they make up for. This blog post will help you select the highest end family of Allen-Bradley’s controllers, the ControlLogix line. But, just as the article says, please sit down and converse with an expert. Plan the system, design it according to the plan, execute according to the design. With the knowledge you’ll gain from this article and the collaboration with those people who research these things on a daily basis, you’ll have more than a successful implementation, you’ll have a control system that will bestow great benefits upon you for...
The Allen Bradley Panelview 800 family is the generational replacement for the Panelview Component family. As of July 2018, the Panelview Component family was discontinued and no longer from sale from the manufacturer, with the Panelview 800 as a functional replacement. For those applications currently using Panelview Component HMI’s, this comparison will help determine which Panelview 800 would be the appropriate replacement. The Panelview Component family debuted in 2010 and was designed for micro and small automation applications. Screen sizes ranged from 2” to 10”, with the 2” having additional function buttons and the 3” and 4” screens having options for additional function buttons. Screens were either monochromatic or up to 256 color RGB. Power requirements for the units was 24VDC and from 3.5W to 18W for the smaller to the largest screens. Connectivity was via Ethernet or serial communications. In general, these were simple, smaller, easy to use screens that utilized Panelview...
