remote IO

Hi all
i've got a old plant to do some modifications / improvements on and there are a couple of travelling stackers, i would like to remotely control these units
As i will need around 20I/O on each i was considering remote I/O's.
My problem is i've never done it before and am in the dark on the subject.
What would people recomend to use, i would like to use an AB PLC as i like the software etc.

40 wires is not too many to run to one PLC in a cabinet near the stackers. But if you want to make it more complicated and expensive, then use the Flexlogix with Remote I/O units at each stacker.

I dunno Lancie, I've been insisting on having remote I/O on anything that we have to feed with a festoon cable. Sounds like a 'Traveling Stacker' might fall under that catagory.

On the newest line coming, I've even insisted on having the local motor starters installed on the equipment. Ignoring the maintenance time to find (and worse, to replace) a broken wire, the installation costs of heavy festooning and ultra-flex control cables make it more than break even to only feed one comms cable (well, 3... two spares guaranteeing that the first one never fails) and one power feed (well, 3, ditto) rather than 40 + 20 (spare) control wires and however many power feeds.

Lancie1 said:

40 wires is not too many to run to one PLC in a cabinet near the stackers. But if you want to make it more complicated and expensive, then use the Flexlogix with Remote I/O units at each stacker.

Click to expand...

The most important question is how those traveling stackers are connected to the rest of the system.

Are they on rails or guides, with a festoon or an articulated cabletray ?

Are they remote-guided vehicles that formerly had onboard controllers ?

How far do the traveling stackers travel ? Have you thought about wireless control ?

What are the safety requirements for these stackers ?