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Programmable Logic Controller (PLC): Products, News, Articles & Resources
PLC (Programmable Logic Controlller) Products, News, Articles, Application Stories, Training, Events & Resources
Welcome to Automation.com's portal for PLCs (programmable logic controllers). Find the latest products, news, articles, application stories, events, training and resources relating to PLCs. Learn more about our Automation Portals.
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Send your articles, white papers, application stories, resources, training and events for publication consideration to content@automation.com.
Articles
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PCs and PLCs Have Grown Up
- 06/24/09 Control Design, June 2009 By Gregory Kempfer In the past decade, PLCs evolved such that they can perform the same functions as the PCs, and the PCs have become more rugged. The advent of soft logic-type programming for PCs virtually eliminated the need for specialized custom programming for most industrial control applications. |
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Relays Yield More Programmable Machine Control Options
- 06/24/09 Control Design, June 2009 Relays might seem to be in retreat for all but the most basic control applications in the face of seemingly relentless PLC advances. Instead, relays actually are adding capabilities and encroaching into control territory formerly occupied by PLCs |
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Safety PLCs Provide Space Savings For OEMs
Automation.com, June 2009 By Dave Collins, Schneider Electric Safety PLCs provide all of the same functionality of traditional safety relays, but offer space savings and improved communications, while also providing the safety levels needed for the protection of personnel. |
White Papers
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Improving Flow Measurement Using PLC Flow Computing
By Jim Ralston & Scott Monton, Prosoft Technology Paper explores embedding hydrocarbon flow computer technology into PLCs for integrated measurement, control and communications. |
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Monitor and Control on the Move: The Next Evolution in Factory Automation
By Motorola When the mobile computer replaces the desktop PC as the information bridge between the machine real-world network and your transactional business systems, you move your operators closer to real time, closer to your machines, and closer to the product that is being manufactured — increasing control over the manufacturing process and overall profitability. |
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Custom Controller or COTS? Step-by-step guide to making the right choice
By ARC OEMs typically have two choices, to develop "green boards," which are internally designed custom controllers, or to apply COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) micro PLCs. This whitepaper will examine some of the important and sometimes overlooked factors involved in choosing between a custom controller and a COTS micro PLC. |
Application Stories
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Using Industrial Wireless Ethernet in Mining Systems
By Moxa A mine uses a combination of Moxa's AWK-1100 wireless AP/Bridge/AP Client and an industrial Ethernet switch. PLCs connect to the switch, which connects to an AWK-1100 wireless AP. Another switch/AP combination is used at the control end of the system. |
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Cost-effective pump control solution saves energy
- 06/16/09 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, June 2009 This project manages the electrical supply by ensuring successful load shift from peak to off-peak times. Equipment includes Siemens S7300 PLCs, with touch panels for operator interfaces underground, and an Adroit SCADA for the HMI interface for the control system. |
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Orlando uses automation to improve wastewater operations
Plant Engineering, May 2009 Orlando's three advanced wastewater treatment plants process more sewage and gray water than ever before. Standardized on the Siemens S7-300 programmable logic controller and Siemens PROFIBUS and Industrial Ethernet networks, the automation platform controls everything from the flow of electricity to the amount of reclaimed water being safely discharged from the plant. |
Resources & Literature
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Nol-Tec offers emergency service for industrial controls and systems
- 06/23/09
Nol-Tec’s 24/7 Emergency Service provides around the clock support when a machine, process or production line is down. |
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Hard Real-Time Standards-Based Platform for Manufacturing
Exceed expectations for reliability, performance, and hard real-time while reducing production costs and time-to-solution by standardizing on one technology platform, from sensors to servers. Windows Embedded brings the ease and familiarity of Windows to the development and use of industrial devices and systems. |
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AutomationDirect Industrial Automation Product Reference Catalog
Have AutomationDirect's entire product line at your fingertips - it is more than a catalog...it is a Desk Reference containing detailed product descriptions complemented by plenty of technical illustrations, step-by-step procedures for selecting various PLC hardware and software, PC-based control, operator interface, motor contactors, drives, sensing equipment, connection systems, and much more. |
Training & Seminars
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Opto 22 Remote I/O for Allen-Bradley Logix seminar
Half-day technical seminar, hosted by Opto 22, shows how to add intelligent remote I/O to Allen-Bradley PLC/PAC systems without programming. |
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PLC Troubleshooting Seminar
July 22-24, 2009 Atlanta, GA A crash course in how to reduce downtime while working with Allen-Bradley's RSLogix, PLC 5 and SLC 500 software. Price: $1170 |
Product Announcements
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ProSoft Technology releases Modbus TCP/IP to PROFIBUS DPV1 Gateway
- 06/21/09
5204SE-MNET-PDPMV1 supports and integrates with Schneider Electric Modicon M340 processors. |
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AutomationDirect adds analog CPUs to PLCs
- 06/11/09
Analog CPUs have two analog inputs and two outputs with ranges of voltage up to 5 Vdc or current up to 20 mA. |
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Softing updates Siemens S7/S5 OPC server
- 05/28/09
V4.0 integrates with the Siemens Step7 programming software by offering a direct import of the tag names (S7 symbols) from the S7 project. |
Company & Organization News
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ARC says PLC Market will bounce back in 2010
- 07/02/09 In spite of the current gloom and doom in the global economy, the market growth will resume in 2010 and beyond. |
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PC-Based Controls Choice Still Evolving
Control Design, May 2009 By Mike Bacidore Detailed responses from the Control Design reader survey on PLCs vs PACs. Includes opinions of all the machine builders, system integrators and automation suppliers who responded. |
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Control Platforms Show Breadth
Control Design, May 2009 The PLC is king of controllers for machine control platforms, but it’s not the only game in town. According to a recent Control Design survey, two-thirds of respondents said they primarily use PLCs. Both PACs and PC-based controls are each used by 13% of the participants in the survey. Embedded-board controls are used by only 5%. |
Project News
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Siemens to automate vacuum tank degassing facility for SSAB
- 01/28/09 Equipment includes an HMI system, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), panels for the control rooms and operation stations for motors and pumps. |
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ABB to automate solar thermal power plant
- 12/11/08 ABB is supplying System 800xA, AC500 PLCs, as well as other automation and power equipment for Extresol 1 and 2 solar thermal power plants in Extremadura, western Spain. |
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PLC-Based SCADA to Monitor Storage Tanks
By Rotork The Vopak ‘Skarvik 1’ project is the largest petroleum tank storage project in Scandinavia for 25 years and the first fully automated installation of its kind in Sweden. Ten new tanks and a PLC-controlled SCADA system will enable Class 1 hazardous products to be pumped to and from any location on the site. |
Events
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Asean Industrial Automation
July 15-18, 2009 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Asean Industrial Automation is a leading trade event dealing with the Industrial Automation, Manufacturing Process, Control and Measurement Equipment & Technology. |
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ISA EXPO 2009
October 6-10, 2009 Houston, Texas ISA EXPO is focused on the technology and techniques of automation and control. Organized around the six core themes central to automation and control, ISA EXPO 2009 provides attendees unlimited opportunity to explore key technologies, discover professional growth, and interact with like minded professionals. |
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