Learning About Basic Manufacturing

Posted on: 5 September 2018

Many of the industrial and manufacturing processes performed each day have become automated. Specialized equipment and machinery have allowed manufacturers to reduce costs while improving product quality. These machines are regulated by a control system that governs their function.

There are several different types of control systems available, but it can be beneficial to make the choice to invest in programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for your production facility.

1. A PLC can accommodate multiple types of input data.

Control systems rely on incoming data to help regulate machine function. The incoming data is compared to the acceptable threshold limits set by the control system designer. When the input differs from the set point, the control system signals changes within the machinery to bring the two into harmony.

A PLC has the ability to handle multiple types of input data. Simple digital inputs from temperature and pressure sensors and limit switches can be handled by a PLC with ease. A PLC can also process more complex input data such as the kind received by a positioning software or machine vision system.

This versatility in input capabilities allows a PLC to efficiently control all the machines within your production facility.

2. A PLC can work with both analog and digital signals.

Each of the machines within your manufacturing facility will rely on either a digital or analog signal to relay information to the control system. It's important that the control system you utilize can accommodate both types of signals.

A PLC recognizes the discrete voltage or current signals used by digital machines to communicate. The same PLC can interpret analog signals as integers in order to manage more advanced machinery. This dual output capability make a PLC valuable in an industrial setting.

3. A PLC can serve as a safety device.

Any number of things could go wrong during the completion of an industrial or manufacturing process. You must have the ability to quickly shut down your automated machinery when a safety hazard presents itself.

A PLC can easily serve as a safety device. These types of control systems have safety-specific programming that allows them to manage the shutdown response whenever an emergency stop in production is activated. 

The right control system design will improve the efficiency of your manufacturing facility. Consider the benefits of installing a PLC system to help you regulate all of the machinery used in manufacturing and industrial processes in the future. Contact a company, like Solutions Engineering, for more help.