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PLC's and Water Treatment Facilities

Aerial view Recycling-water-sewage-treatment-plant

It wasn’t that long ago that treating wastewater and delivering clean, safe drinking water to homes relied on manual processes. Today, water treatment is largely automated, thanks in no small part to the use of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and other electrical devices that can be programmed to complete many of the tasks required with little to no human oversight.

The Difference Between PLC and RTU

Wiring PLC Control pane

It’s safe to say that we all benefit from process automation in some shape or form, whether we realize it or not. Many of the products and systems that we rely upon to feed our families, get us to and from work, and allow for a restful Sunday afternoon are made possible by process automation. More often than not, the devices that drive these processes will either be a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) or a Remote Terminal Unit (RTU).

Variable Frequency Drives: Basics and Common Applications of VFDs

VFD Machine connected to a PLC

Electric motors are used in multiple applications of our everyday lives but require the right amount of electrical energy to provide optimal torque and speed. To control these motors, Variable Frequency Devices (VFD), are used to convert AC current into DC current from the power supply. In this article we will look at how these devices work, and how they are important

Important Differences between PLC and DCS

Device with DCS workmanship

 

One of the most common questions in industrial control and automation systems is “what’s the difference between a PLC and a DCS? In order to fully understand the difference between these two systems, we must look at the history of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) and Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and break down their internal components. 

Discrete vs. Analog I/O: What's the Difference?

discrete and analog I/O modules

When it comes to learning the foundations of PLC programming, it can be as easy as flicking on and off a switch. That’s the main difference between discrete and analog I/O modules! Discrete signals are simply on or off, whereas analog signals vary. 

SCADA System: What is it and How it Works

worker using scada system

When we think about technologies which have revolutionized industrial automation, we often think about a specific piece of hardware we interact with, rather than the software behind the scenes. For factories and manufacturing plants, the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) dramatically improves efficiency and control; yet it’s the SCADA software which runs all the operations smoothly.

The Importance of PLCs in Manufacturing

aerial view of factory floor

The common definition one would find on Wikipedia describes a PLC or Programmable Logic Controller as the following:  “ A programmable logic controller (PLC) or programmable controller is an industrial computer that has been ruggedized and adapted for the control of manufacturing processes, such as assembly lines, machines, robotic devices, or any activity that requires high reliability, ease of programming, and process fault diagnosis.

The Basics of Ladder Logic

programmable logic controller

One of the top 5 most popular types of PLC programming languages is ladder logic. But what makes it so popular, and what does it take to master the language? Ladder logic is a programming language and one of the first languages that was ever used for PLCs or programmable logic controllers.