Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 11

WHAT IS A SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR? Systems integrators take existing equipment and gather information from that equipment to display data on HMI and computer screens. They can capture data such as trend pressure, temperature, flow and any other analog input in different formats for storage and later dissemination. This enables you the customer to track downtimes, maintenance, runtime hours, and waste. REPRESENT THE REAL WORLD ON A SCREEN The system integrator uses PLCs to monitor, control and capture data. • Digital inputs and outputs (AC or DC) – limit switches, push buttons, disconnects, pressure switches, lights, horns, solenoids, and motor-starters. • Analog inputs and outputs (ma or volts) – thermocouples, pressure transmitters, flow sensors, VFD, RPM, speed, amperage, voltages, and valve position. • Counters, timers, totalizers, math computing capabilities, along with special control algorithms like PID (closed loop control). • Each plc communicates on a network, usually ethernet, which connects to an HMI (human machine interface), computers (running SCADA software) and other PLCS. • Software is used to program each of the PLCs and HMIs to monitor and control the process, monitor the network, and share/store the data. Fig. 2 - HMI Screen Fig. 3 is an example of ethernet network layout - plc communicating with HMI’S drives, power monitors, and the Spang SCR. green, yellow and red backgrounds indicate status of the network, connected through ethernet switches. There is also a screen shot of the Allen Bradley PanelView development software. Continued on next page 511 MAKING YOUR INSTALLATION ASUCCESS