Industrial Automation, PLC, VFD, and Troubleshooting
A PLC system can run for years with very few problems, but that does not mean it should be ignored.
A PLC panel needs preventive maintenance just like motors, gearboxes, sensors, …
Read MorePLC Safety Basics
In industrial automation, safety is not just another PLC input.
Safety devices are used to protect people from hazardous machine motion, stored energy, electrical hazards, pneumatic movement, hydraulic force, …
Read MoreOpening an unfamiliar PLC program can feel overwhelming.
You may see:
Dozens of routines
Hundreds or thousands of tags
Timers and counters everywhere
Interlocks
Permissives
Fault logic
HMI commands
VFD control
Analog signals
Communication logic
Old logic that nobody remembers
Comments that may …
Read MoreCommissioning is the stage where a PLC control system moves from programmed to proven in the real machine.
A program may look correct offline and still fail during startup because commissioning …
Read MoreThroughout this PLC series, we repeatedly used an important programming concept:
Do not build your entire machine logic directly from physical I/O addresses.
Instead, create a clean separation between the real hardware …
Read More
33. PLC Programming Best Practices: Structure, Tags, Comments, and Troubleshooting ( 33 of 35 )
PLC Programming Best Practices
A PLC program should not only make the machine run.
A good PLC program should also be:
Easy to understand
Read MoreEasy to troubleshoot
Easy to modify
Easy to document
Easy to recover
Safe to …