We found 161 posts about Comparison Guides from DO Supply, a global automation parts
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In any automation system design: cost, functionality, space, and interoperability are always on the mind of the engineer designing the system. This is true of small control builds and complex, factory-wide control environments with numerous machines connected to the system. For many decades, PLCs have been the workhorse of such automation and control systems, providing an effective and reliable way for engineers to get the job done. But within the last decade, microcontrollers have come to the forefront of numerous applications leading many to wonder if they can be considered a more cost-effective and smaller substitute for PLCs. As the “maker” culture arose with small automation applications such as desktop 3D printers, an entire ecosystem of accessories grew with them until many have reached a comparable feature set and list of capabilities of PLCs. Why then can’t they be used in place of traditional PLCs? The answer lies in a few important distinctions between the two. Benefits of...
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 decision-making and remediation of problems. Introduced in 2015, Allen Bradley’s PanelView Plus 7 Performance offers a broader range of features than its predecessor, the PanelView Plus 7 Standard. For system designers looking to use the PanelView 7 family in their control design, here is a comparison of the most common features of each: There is quite a difference in screens and alarms allowed in a system between the Standard and the Performance. The PanelView Plus 7 Standard allows up to 100 graphics screens within a control system. The Standard is also limited to 500 alarms. By contrast, the PanelView Plus 7...
The Allen Bradley VersaView line is distinctly different from the PanelView and Component HMI class. The VersaView line combines monitors, industrial PCs, and thin clients that work on an open architecture platform. The VersaView line also has fewer connectors and is fanless, reducing commissioning time and setup costs. By combining these industrial computers and monitors with software applications and thin client software, the entire visualization experience is enhanced. The use of thin clients provides a cost-effective solution for both standalone and complex visualization systems throughout an operation. By connecting via server to access stored applications, local hard drives are not needed. This centralized approach also helps users better ensure security than distributed hard drives that may be more susceptible to breach. The VersaView Family The VersaView line is designed for system flexibility and centralized server access to power the visualization applications. This is...
Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) and Soft Starters are electronic devices that are popularly used in a wide variety of industrial processes which require the utilization of AC motors. These devices share a common, specific purpose to which they are applied, particularly in the field of motor protection and lowering of energy consumption. But what is the difference between a VFD and a Soft Starter? Before we differentiate the difference between each of the devices, let us understand first the common industry terms used to refer to these devices. A Soft Starter is commonly termed as Soft Starter, Motor Starter, or simply starter. A VFD is popularly termed as Variable Speed Drive (VSD), Adjustable Frequency AC Drive, Adjustable Speed Drive, or simply an Inverter. Soft Starters are generally used to protect the AC motor from the stress produced by a large amount of electrical inrush when the motor is started or stopped. During start-up, high amount of inrush current is absorbed directly by...
Continuing our article series on Programmable Logic Controller selection, we’ll look next at Rockwell Automation’s line of Allen-Bradley Micro800 PLCs. These controllers are particularly well positioned to tackle basic single-machine control, offering a versatile range of form factor, expansion, and connectivity options. Despite their modest cost and size, the Micro800 series is packed with advanced features that you’d normally expect only of much larger platforms. The Micro800 (and sister MicroLogix) series sits at the micro-scale end of Allen-Bradley’s PLC offerings, just under small-scale options such as the CompactLogix series, and farther yet under large-scale solutions including the flagship ControlLogix series. These series groupings do not translate into differences in quality or reliability – these names only refer to the scale of the applications each family is designed to serve. Where a ControlLogix PLC may control an entire plant, a Micro PLC is a much better fit to...
Today’s motion control systems require motors that do many different things, such as precise positioning or controlled torque. Servo motors allow for better control of these conditions by allowing a high rpm spin at low torque yet slowing down and increasing torque as states require. With position sensors, encoders, and gearing, microcontrollers can sense the actual versus the desired position and correct it to allow rotors to turn to the machine gear or wheel to the precise position required. These DC motors can be either positional, where precise rotor control is needed, or continuous, turning clockwise or counterclockwise at different programmed speeds. Servo motors are available in numerous sizes, and torque ranges and cost-effective to achieve control in high torque situations. They are best suited for speeds over 2000 rpm where high torque is needed. However, they are limited in positional rotation to 180 degrees. Allen-Bradley has a long history of quality, durable, and robust...
As the de facto standard for industrial programmable logic controllers, Rockwell Automation’s line of Allen-Bradley PLCs covers the full spectrum of application scales, from hobbyist to multi-site systems. In this article, we’ll examine one of the most popular and cost-effective PLC options in Allen-Bradley’s catalog: the MicroLogix 1400 family. MicroLogix Family Overview The MicroLogix series sits at the micro-scale end of Allen-Bradley’s PLC offerings, just under small-scale options such as the CompactLogix series, and farther yet under large-scale solutions including the flagship ControlLogix series. These series groupings aren’t meant to infer differences in quality or reliability – these names only refer to the scale of the applications each family is designed to serve. Where a ControlLogix PLC may control an entire plant, a MicroLogix PLC is a much better fit to control a single machine. The Allen-Bradley MicroLogix family of PLCs is based on two paramount features: compact size...
As factories and warehouses have become more connected to platforms for control and analysis of operating and production environments, equipment manufacturers have created OEM equipment to operate with more precision. This means that more than ever, reliable and efficient control of motor speed and performance is critical. When control systems require more than just stop and start or on and off applications, variable frequency drives (VFD) can be used to deliver the right amount of voltage and frequency to a motor so that it not only does what it is required to do, it also does so with precision and safety for both operators and equipment. Because using VFDs allows full control of operating motors, companies can reduce both cost and energy consumption while achieving very tight process control for their operation. Allen Bradley Low Voltage VFDs Allen Bradley’s VFD solutions cover a wide range of sizes and applications for any control and automation needs through its PowerFlex® VFD...
Each passing year brings greater and greater need for visualization within control systems. The ability to visualize machine states, errors, running conditions, quality, and other data is critical to today’s control environments within manufacturing, warehousing and other industries. Allen Bradley’s line of HMI solutions offers a wide range of products for end users or control system designers to build out the system that works best for their application. With state-of-the-art features, Allen Bradley’s current line of HMIs givers builders and users the tools to optimize any system. Here is a look at the differences and similarities between the PanelView Plus 7 and Allen Bradley’s newer solution, the PanelView 5500 . PanelView Plus 7 Standard and Performance Before looking at direct comparisons, it should be noted that there are some differences between the PanelView Plus 7 Standard and the PanelView Plus 7 Performance. Understanding these differences will also help inform users when...
Every PLC manufacturer has their own way of presenting their line. And when comparing PLCs from different manufacturers, there is a lot of overlap between manufacturers. Some cover a wide range of automation system sizes with a dizzying array of offerings while others offer seemingly a smaller line that upon closer look covers the same territory as their competitor. Two of these manufacturers, ABB and Allen Bradley, both offer PLCs with strong feature sets that cover any range of automation needs. Swiss-based ABB offers a wide range of control products including PLCs, HMIs and is well known for its robotics offerings. While US based Allen Bradley is one of the most popular companies for control solutions in the US and the world. Here is a comparison of the two’s most popular PLC products and features: Large Control Systems Both Allen Bradley and ABB offer a full feature PLC line for large control systems. Allen Bradley offers the ControlLogix 5580 and 5570 line. These controllers are...
The PanelView 550 Standard Terminal HMIs have been in service for many years. Introduced by Allen Bradley to facilitate factory automation and provide real-time actionable data to users and technicians, the 550 Standard was a workhorse. The units were sturdy and reliable and were scalable across a wide range of applications. As automation capabilities have improved through more flexible communication, onboard capabilities provided by machine OEMs and further connectivity on broader networks, Allen Bradley introduced HMIs such as the PanelView 7Plus to provide a more flexible HMI platform to monitor and control devices for even more applications. Comparing the legacy PanelView 550 and the PanelView Plus 7 To fully understand the improvements in the PanelView Plus 7 over the PanelView 550 Standard, here is a direct comparison of the key features and capabilities of both. Screens The importance of HMIs in modern factories is undeniable. And screens and alarms on HMIs help monitor and...
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...
