Choosing computerised control system

We are in the process of choosing the computerised control system we want to use for the next 10-15 years.
We have narrowed it down to GEFanuc (90-30 and cimplicity) or AB.

Comments please.

Steve

Unitronics

Simple to program, inexpensive, built-in hmi's, and a israeli company, no less.

TM

We use Unitronics for some applications.Mainly for small stand alone applications.
We are looking for a plant wide control system that will collect all the data on an SQL server.
Tim ,Thanks for your input.
Steve

Steve

I suggest you to go for A-B.they offer wide range of network option.
and good range of PLCs.
15 min from your place I can show you how good it work.
This customer go from GE to AB for that reason.
I flighting tomorrow to US for week or so, when I will cam back I have to came to make some soft changes in your plant.and you welcome to see this app 7 PLCs in ET with screens and some other PLCs.
Its bakery line who can made 10.000 breads in hour.

Arik

Stevez,

You indicate two things...Plant-Wide Control and Data Collection.

IMHO these are two separate issues and should be handled by two separate systems.

I like for Data Collection systems to supervisory in nature and be purely secondary systems. This way they have no adverse affect to any production equipment if they go off-line. They can, of course, poll the Control system for information, but this should be a purely monitoring fuction and, wherever possible, require no additional programming of the Control system.

With this in mind, for what you have told us, I see little difference between the two systems. I have used both and like both. Depending on the communications interface you like, one or the other may take an upper hand, but I doubt there is enough difference between them if you use this approach.

Steve

I guess I'm skeptical about the longevity of the 90-30. GE has some fast new CPU's, but they're still 90-30's. Their "PAC" series just look like PC-based 90-series controllers.

Have any of you Cimplicity power users out there heard anything +/- from your GE distributors about Cimplicity/Intellution development priorities ? All I get is "oh, no, they're totally separate".

Sorry, didn't mean to be anonymous. That was me, above.

-Eddie

We have about 1200 GE-FANUC 90/70 and 90/30 PLC's running. The hardware is robust and gives relatively few problems. We mostly program with LM-90, but are very slowly shifting over to CIMPLICITY Machine Edition. Earlier versions of CIMPLICITY left a lot to be desired, but Version 4.0 is finally good enough to get serious with.

One big advantage of the CIMPLICITY family is that you can run Machine Edition on the floor (PLC and HMI with joint tag database) and Plant Edition for the Enterprise... that is a good combination.

The PAC system, especially as it evolves, will be a good platform for future growth. And wisely GE made it usable with existing I/0 products.

Obviously AB is THE major player in the market ($$). Their software is usally first-class, but in my experience their hardware (specifically the PLC-5) is somewhat unforgiving of electrical noise, whereas the 90-series run just fine.

I use to use GE PLCs until 1999 we have lot of installations
of 90-30.LM90 is pretty good programming software for that time.I think the best software for the DOS age.
The main reason we left GE is we had CPU crashs few times and APM crash twice that somting we never had before in other PLCs. I dont count power supply problems. I cant point the reason for that.
The CPU was very solwly too In one project we replaced the GE to Omron because of scan time problem.
In the bottom line it good PLC but below A-B or Omron.
If you need Servo App it made for that.
A-B cost more that for sure.But in some cases I prefer to pay more and have peace of mind.

Stevez,
I've used both systems you mentioned (like alot of the replies) and I would suggest you look into WonderWare for the HMI / SQL interfaces and use which ever supplier give you the best controller prices.... or even both.

Just a thought.

Call both them distributors with this question.

We have this xxxxxx model PLC system and urgently need some technician to help us fix it. It could take all night. Can you give me a list of people or companies I can call NOW?

Click to expand...

IMHO The amount of ressources available in your region should dictate your final choice.

If you want to really play dirty, do it on friday afternoon.

Now you're talking, Pierre.

Pierre thanks for the idea.Of course the distrbutors for both lots of equipment in Israel claim to be available 24/7...huh.

To all of you who have replied to this thread ,thanks.

Stevez

I would strongly recomend you look carefully at AB's Logix family of controllers and Rockwell Software's RSHistorian data collection products.

First up the Logix controller family is the latest generation of controller with a very powerful communications model and functionality.

Secondly it is very scalable throughout the full range of sizes, from the smallest to the very largest. Logix controllers are embedded in a range of hardware formats to suit a full range of applications. This makes it easy to use a Logix system virtually anywhere you wish with an optimum fit.

Thirdly it very competently handles all the important control disciplines; sequential, process, motion and drive systems. One coherent family of products, with a common programming tool and logic engine will cover 95% of all control applications of all types. The only real exception is robotics.

Finally it is Rockwell's flagship system that has a planned commercial life of at least another 20 years. This has always been a Rockwell strength. A previous post referred to the now venerable PLC5 system (still a major player in the PLC world) that was first sold in mid 1980's...almost 20 years ago and still nowhere near commercially obsolete. Which other vendor can still boast a commercially available system that is this well supported?

Rockwell Software is a more substantial vendor of Automation software systems than much of the market is aware of. In my experience it would have to be a monstrous application to overtop the capabilities of the RSSql and RSHistorian data collection and analysis tools.