Factors Involved in Buying PLC Control Panels – You Must Know

June 26, 2023

Programmable logic controllers (PLC) are widely used in industrial plants and factories to control motors, pumps, lights, breakers, fans, circuits, and other machinery. Even in our everyday life, we come across elevators, traffic signals, and amusement park rides that all employ these controllers to run efficiently.

But when choosing PLC control panels for a project, what are the things to take care of? Buying a PLC panel is not a piece of cake where you can experiment with flavors. It’s a big deal because certain factors are involved, and ignoring any of them might end up in a dire situation worse than a nightmare.

We have created this guide to cover everything you should know beforehand when buying PLC control panels. Read the blog in detail to help yourself make an informed decision:

1. Requirements of Your System

The task which your system needs to carry out would determine the type of PLC you require. One more thing that becomes the deciding factor is whether the existing products are already installed, or it is to be built from scratch. Considering these factors is essential as you would desire to match your PLC’s functionality with the task at hand and the prior installed product.

2. Environmental Concerns

Most of the time, PLCs are utilized in harsh physical environments where dust, temperature, or vibration affect your application. Extreme temperatures may invite problems because the optimal operating range for PLCs is usually between 0 to 55 degrees Celsius (32-130 degrees Fahrenheit). If your facility’s temperature falls outside the optimal range, you must research other potential PLC options.

3. Total Inputs and Outputs

Inputs and outputs are crucial factors in determining for proper operation of a PLC. Choose the PLC that supports the number of inputs and outputs your system features. Since a PLC controls a significant part of the process, you need it to handle multiple I/Os of different types.

Furthermore, the location of I/Os makes a big difference when selecting PLC. You must confirm whether your system needs local I/O or both – local and remote I/Os. The answer to this question depends upon the distance of the subsystems of your application from the CPU. Likewise, it is also crucial to investigate the speed and distances of remote I/O and whether it’s sufficient for your application.

4. CPU Speed

The CPU processing must efficiently handle multiple I/Os, which requires quick CPU speed and enough memory. Moreover, the scan time is also a significant consideration which refers to the time a CPU takes to perform one cycle of collecting inputs, running the PLC program, and updating the outputs.

5. Communication Protocol Types

Another thing to contemplate while selecting a PLC is the types of communication protocols that your system will use. What types of devices or networks is the PLC supposed to communicate with? Some PLCs have communication ports, while others need additional communication modules. Another option is remote communication via Ethernet or building upon multiple communications as your system requires.

6. Programming

Do you need basic programming instructions or special ones? That’s vital to determine because you must know your programming requirements before choosing a PLC control panel. Also, get answers to the following questions:

• Do you prefer using assembly language or higher-level languages like C or BASIC?
• Would you like to assign a set amount of RAM for a particular data type using tag name-based control?
• Are you at ease using fixed memory addressing, which handles assigning for you?

The programming characteristic of the PLC is essential to decide through consideration as it sincerely impacts the development, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

7. Vendor Support

Last but not least, consider vendor support. The PLC that you choose should extend you ample support from its manufacturer. Manufacturers with a large customer base, appropriate pricing, and robust technical teams are always the perfect option. There might be instances where you face challenges requiring the manufacturer’s support; otherwise, your situation might turn dire. So always choose wisely.

In The End Choosing the aptest PLC is a matter that requires thorough consideration, and you must put in sincere efforts, proper research, and careful thoughts to make an informed decision. If you want to save money and ensure unproblematic PLC control panel operation for a long, consider relying on experts. Choosing renowned brands like Wonder Systems, which has provided solutions to many top-rated firms for years, would be best.