My first PLC Project used a Unitronics All-In-One HMI PLC for controlling six chemical metering pumps with open-loop-vector VFDs/motors. Positive displacement pumps had to range from about 30mL/min up to 20L/min and had to follow a master pump/flow for proportion and mixing. Also had to record and save the data to a memory card in a CSF format and be able to export it into a spreadsheet for later viewing.
Second project was using multiple Click PLCs in a LAN for controlling various chemical blending/pumping/transfer functions via ModBus TCP.
Third project was to build and control an XY positioning system with sixteen (16) axes. Thought I was going to use a Click PLC, but there was no motion control available for it. Also, I had started reading about Stage Programming and really liked it, so I used a BRX PLC with the native HSIO4 Motion Control Cards. Ended up networking two (2) BRX with four (4) HSIO4 Cards each, with a CMore Touchscreen for input of positions and saving "Jobs". All this was controlling sixteen (16) Tecknic ClearPath SDSK Step-and-Direction Servo Motors running precision lead screws.
Forth project was the build and control a twelve (12) axes XY positioning system. I used the same BRX and CMore as the previous job, but used the Teknic ClearLink Step-and-Direction Motion Control Modules, instead of the HSIO4 Cards. Much less wiring. Mostly all Ethernet Cables. ClearLink also provided remote I/O. Communication was through Ethernet IP and Explicit Messaging. THAT was very challenging for me, but I learned it and got it to work... but it was VERY tedious.
Current Project is to build and control two (2) YZ Pick-N-Place Robots for a case packing operation. Again, we will be using the ClearPath SDSK Servo Motors and ClearLink Step/Direction Controllers, Ethernet IP LAN and CMore Touchscreen. Will also be controlling conveyors and other material/product handling operations in the Robot Work Cell. Later, we will build/add an XYZ PNP Gantry Robot to do palletizing of the final, finished cases. All I will have to do is to add another ClearLink Unit to the Network for the XYZ ClearPath SDSK Servos and another Program in the BRX!
Being able to have multiple programs that I can turn on and turn off, along with Sub-Routines (mainly for Math Functions) and Stage Programming is AWESOME and POWERFUL! (I still haven't quite figured out "Tasks", but we'll see.
) However, in addition to all of the above, I am extremely excited about the upcoming IMPLICIT ETHERNET IP MESSAGING SCANNER capability. If not for this, I would have to go with the Productivity Series of PLC. No way am I going to attempt Explicit Messaging for this project. Also, ClearLink already has an EDS File for the Productivity Series, that BobO is looking at for the BRX and may use it for testing the BRX Implicit Messaging.
To summarize, I love the Do-More Programming Language/Structure/Layout, Stage Programming Capability, Do-More Protocol for the CMore HMI, FREE Software and Support from Automation Direct and Host Engineering, Cost-Effectiveness, Soon-To-Be-Released IMPLICIT MESSAGING SCANNER function and the Speed of the BRX PLCs.
Thank you Host Engineering and God Bless!
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