The top most used PLC Systems around the world

Many electrochemical processes have been automated using digital computers known as a Programmable Logic Controller or Programmable Controller (PLC). Examples of such processes include automatic controlling of machinery installed at factory assembly lines, amusement rides, light fixtures and many others.

Allen-Bradley, Rockwell Automation has registered “Programmable Logic Controller” as its trademarks. This technology is being used for machinery operation as well as in the industry.

PLC has been designed to bear numerous inputs and output activities at the same time, diverse range of changes in the temperature, protection from electrical noise and vibration and their impact. The non-volatile or battery-backed-up memory is the storage point of programs used to control operation of machine. PLC is a type of hard real time system. This is so because the output produced is done so owing to the various inputs that the computer receives and also it is very important that the output be generated within the specified time which is usually very short. If this is not done as such and the output generation exceeds the time appointed then favorable results will not be produced leading to malfunction in the machine operation.

If we trust online sources, a total of 80% of the controllers are sold by top 7 companies of the world and the contribution that each company has would be as below:

• Siemens has the greatest share in the market with a contribution of as much as 30.7% towards the total contribution.

• Top second contribution is made by Rockwell Automation with 21.6% share.

• At third number comes Mitsubishi which contributes 13.9% to the total score.

• 8.9% of the share belongs to the company Schneider Electric.

• Omron falls at fifth rank providing 6.6% controllers in the market.

• Another company, GE Fanuc has a total share of 4.0%.

• The last company in the list is Moeller with the contribution to market of 2.3%.

Some other companies which have application in various industries along with their positive and negative factors are being accumulated in the list mentioned below.

• SIEMENS AG provides PLC to Chemical, Petro-chemical, Off-Shore, FPSO and BMS industry. It is much recognized because the PLC processes inputs with a fast response time. But the negative point on their front is that during the functioning if even one component fails to act properly then the system becomes unavailable as a result of which the machine stops functioning which may lead to further issues.

• Moore Process Automation is another company with reach to the Chemical, Off-Shore and FPSO industries only. The strength of their provided PLC is that it has fully structured programming software along with the facility to manually select the outputs requiring shut down. However its drawback is that the structured programming is not favorable to process safety critical circuits which can be a problem.

• HIMA is another company dealing in PLC and attracting a decent market as well. HIMA has market in Chemical, Petro-chemical, Off-Shore and BMS business. The promptness of the company personnel in helping the customers solve their problems through fast response in short interval is a positive point of the company. HIMA has managed to attract customers from across the world. Another benefit of working with HIMA is that the customer gets the option to get the PLC configured as per demand proving to be much cheaper than others. But the thing holding the company back is that it is dependent on other bigger and powerful companies for financing and discounts when the consideration is for big projects.

List of Top PLC’s used in the Industry.

Hi Friends, We are using large number of brands and models of PLC’s.  So here I decided to share List of Top Most Widely used PLC’s in the Industry .it’s better we know the different Brands of PLC’s used in the industry all over the world. So which one below you think is best, or you use or is cheaper?

•   ABB

•    Siemens

•   Rockwell Automation(Allen Bradley)

•   Mitsubishi

•   Delta PLC

•   Panasonic

•   Schneider Electric

•   B&R Automation

•   Bosch(Rexroth)

•   Hitachi

•   Keyence

•   Fuji Electric

•   GE-Fanuc

•   Honeywell

•   Keyence

•   LG

•   L & T

•   Omron

•   Beckhoff

•   Unitronics

•   WAGO

•   Crouzet

•   Fatek Automation

•   Toshiba

•   Yokogawa

•   Messung

If you have any suggestions on the subject post them below. What brand of PLC do you used to prefer? Is it the one that you are the most experienced with or is used the most where you work? What software do you like the most or least? Hardware? How much of a part does price play in your selection process? So friend’s please comment on which PLC you most like? And on which PLC’s you have worked. If you Like my post please Share it. Thanks.

Allen Bradley PLC Vs Siemens PLC

Allen Bradley PLC Vs Siemens PLC – Which is better for industrial automation?
Right from the time when Dick Morley invented the first Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) in 1969 to till date, PLCs have been of great help to the industrial segment. A PLC which is also known as the industrial computer control system greatly enhances an industrial process while allowing you to easily replicate or change the process. Secondly, it allows you to mix input and output systems for a modular environment.

Rockwell and Siemens are two of the biggest companies that are dominating the PLC market. Here is a comparison of these PLC heavyweights.

Siemens PLC Vs  Allen Bradley PLC

Hardware
When it comes to hardware, both these automation tools work the same way and are reliable. They only differ in fewer areas. For instance, when you install the Allen Bradley PLC, you need to connect the Allen Bradley power supply and the Allen Bradley rack as well. Moreover, you need to install additional cards for safety communication ports. Siemens works with any 24V DC power supply. They come with built-in safety communication ports. AB uses American native protocols such as EthernetIP, DeviceNet and ControlNet. Siemens uses European protocols such as ASI and Profibus.

Automation procedure management
Rockwell PLC is easy to configure and manage. The intuitive interface allows users to easily monitor and manage the system. Features such as communication with 3rd party hardware, mass production of code and export/import tags from Excel to scada databases make it popular among endusers. On the other hand, Siemens seems to be complex for regular maintenance staff and require more computer programming background. However, it offers more options to program and customize the process. Siemens PLC offers two safety runtime groups. It means you can divide the infrastructure into two groups and set controller parameters with different priorities and time cycles. This ability allows you to program blocks and download them to the PLC without stopping any process. With Rockwell PLC, this is not possible as it supports only one safety group. Siemens also offers more programming techniques such as FBD, SCL, STL, LAD etc. However, high-end AB systems support function blocks as well as multiple programming techniques.

Support & Pricing
While pricing is not the first aspect to compare, it has significant important as well. The AB Rockwell automation system is expensive when compared with that of Siemens PLC solutions For instance, the Compact GuardLogix which is the least expensive product from AB is still priced at a higher level. Siemens offers standard technical support for free. When it comes to Rockwell, technical support charges are based on the amount of hardware installed.

Conclusion
While both these automation systems are similar in most areas, the difference lies in the software segment. AB is easy to use and manage but offers limited customization options. Siemens is comparatively inexpensive, allows you to program the software to customize different program blocks but requires more computer programming knowledge. Rockwell is more popular in the US while Siemens enjoys an international market.