Phase 3: Grouping and segmentation of I/Os and Racks (functional distribution) In this article we discuss the importance of the functional distribution of I/Os, especially in medium size and large control systems (index of design phases). 3-Grouping and segmentation of signals and racks – Functional distribution The way we distribute I/O signals, modules and racks …
Phase 2: Selection of I/O modules (part B) In this article (part B) we discuss other design factors of the selection of Input / Output Modules such as intrinsic safety, electrical isolation, redundant I/Os, etc. (index of design phases) 2B-Hardware selection of input / output modules Link to part A. G) Electrical isolation Normally there …
Phase 2: Selection of I/O modules (part A) In this article we discuss the selection of Input / Output Modules (part A) (index of design phases) 2A-Hardware selection of input / output modules The selection of the type of modules should be based mainly on the technical requirements, on the one hand, and on the …
Technical Specification – Design Phases of the Control System This is the first article in this series where we try to describe the different design phases of a control system. In PLC-based systems the design engineer must analyze all the technical requirements and make the design that meets the specifications with the lowest possible cost. …
PLC vs DCS – What solution to choose? When we want to integrate several software applications, use advanced control algorithms and have future expansion plans, the PLC / SCADA solution may not be adequate. Currently the differences between both solutions have decreased, but they are still important, especially in systems with more than 500 I …
Decision matrix for industrial proposals In the first step of the bidding process we must decide whether or not to bid, which is known as “Bid / No Bid” decision. In large industrial companies, it is usual to use a decision matrix to aid analysis and usually consists of question forms that are given a …
Automate proposals in industrial sector We want to make some reflections on how to automate proposals during the sales process and the benefits that we get, especially in the case of industrial companies. Many of the companies still have a very manual sales process with a lot of improvement margin. What we want is to …
Industry 4.0 for beginners The terms Industry 4.0, Digitalization, Internet of Things and Smart Factory are used to refer to the same thing, the digital transformation of the industry, both machines and production processes, and in general of all the productive economy. This article will try to explain it, but from a simple plane to …
PLC module sizing We want to do some thinking on how to make the PLC module sizing as to the density of the cards, i.e., about what’s the optimal number of channels, and we see that in many cases is more important than it looks like. At first glance all tend to think that the …
BMS Safety PLC Let’s see an example of I/Os distribution in the case of a safety PLC for a Boiler Protection and Burner Management System for a Heat Recovery Steam Generator with post-combustion. The boiler has 8 burner ramps as shown in the image. It is advisable to use a safety PLC and verify the …
