Programmable Logic Control Applications

Brandon Thompson · Apr 27, 2006

I am a student in a PLC class at a local community college. I am trying to write a paper on the practical uses of PLC's. Does anyone have some very basic information about PLC applications. For example, how are they used in common products? Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Doug_Adam · Apr 28, 2006

PLCs are not used in common products.
They are used to control the machines that make common products.

Take for example one of the best and most useful products in the world - Beer.
Think of all the steps needed to get the beer from the brewing tank and into the bottles. This requires a lot of machinery to do, and is generally fairly well automated. Now what controls the machinery? What tells the conveyors to start and stop? What tells the valves to open and close? Where is the brain in this process?

darrenj · Apr 28, 2006

I dont think there is a product out there that does not have PLC's involved...I have instaled PLC's at a public pool's hot tub to control the jets and i use them in water bottoling plants and milk plants..also meat plants and pckaging plants...hell name an application and i am sure someone here has worked on one...!!!

Ken Moore · Apr 28, 2006

PLC's can be found in almost all manufactoring facilities.

Sliver · Apr 28, 2006

I'll bet they even use PLCs to manufacture PLCs!

MarkTTU · Apr 28, 2006

PLCs are also extensively used in the agriculture industry. Cotton gins use them extensively, lots of the major farm machinery (tractors, etc) use them, mills use them... Really you will find a PLC in almost any industrial process.

If you want documentation of how PLCs are used in a few machines read a couple of our service manuals (http://support.samjackson.com) and you should get a good idea of what a simple PLC can (and does) do.

jvdcande · Apr 28, 2006

Sliver said:
I'll bet they even use PLCs to manufacture PLCs!

You won't be able to! Bookmakers don't take on bets unless they're sure they can win. I bet you will only get a 0 to 1 bet on this at most. But hey, we're talking about digital equipment, ain't we?

Kind regards,

TConnolly · Apr 28, 2006

I suggest that you simply browse the threads of this forum. The uses of PLCs are so diverse and there are hundreds of threads on hundreds of applications right here.

darrenj · Apr 29, 2006

Sliver said:
I'll bet they even use PLCs to manufacture PLCs!

Funny you should mention that!!

I do work at a small manufacturing plant and these huys manufacture a certain PLC module for GE...Now i had to do an audit on there equiptment..(Not CSA certified) and 99% of there equiptment used PLC's...Not 1 of them was a GE!! I shook my head at the guy and told him he was biting the hand that fed him...But to confirm what you said..Yep..they use PLC's to build Plc's...but not always by the same manufacture!!!

D

Programmable Logic Control Applications

Brandon Thompson

Member

Doug_Adam

Member

darrenj

Member

Ken Moore

Lifetime Supporting Member

Sliver

Member

MarkTTU

Lifetime Supporting Member

jvdcande

Member

TConnolly

Lifetime Supporting Member

darrenj

Member

Similar Topics