Training Board

I want to make a testing / training board with some PLC's,HMI's,Drives ,Etc for our shop.

Right now we just have stuff laying all around and i would like to have a board that i can swap components out on easily.

I have looked at a lot of the garage type organizers but all that i have found have hooks and things geared toward hanging tools and some have baskets but no good way to mount these kinds of companents.

In a lot of the AB / Rockwell training class Description PDF files they have a neat looking system but i have had no sucess finding any info on it.

I am attaching a couple of pdf files that show what i am referencing. I hope Ken Roach or OG will know what the name of this system is?

Any other recommendations are welcome also.

Thanks

Kid

If permanent I have found plywood screwed to wall to be most flexible.

If portable needed EMT conduit bent and welded makes a good sturdy frame to bolt the plywood to.

Dan Bentler

One of those is an ancient PLC-5 training demo; you occasionally find them in use but most of them have been busted up for scrap by now.

The modern demos that are used by RA Training, by distributors and sales offices, and in RAOTM and Automation Fair applications are all built by a Cleveland panel shop called Hy-Tech Controls. They have the contract to provide repair and replenishment of all of those boxes and sell them exclusively to RA.

I think that RA will sell those demos through the training business; they do come at a fairly premium price.

What I've done myself is to use a wheeled-base 19" telecom rack to hold switches and servers. The 1771-A3B chassis fits 19" racks, and I use a section of plywood with DIN rail bolted to it to hold other devices.

In our demo room we have slotted MDF that we've bolted things to, but frankly it's hard to attach things and not as secure as just using plywood or sheet steel. Prettier, sure, but not as practical.

see if this helps get you started ...

http://www.spacewall.com/

I construct training equipment for RA Aus. We use a perforated zinc coated steel backplate which uses oversized washers and nuts to secure our components onto.

Shneider have an off the shelf part equivalent to what I have fabricated that may suit your needs, though it worked out cheaper in the end to have it laser cut.

Very modular, very easy, and nice for grounding/DIN arrangement.

The problem with the Hy-tech stuff is that it's far too permanent.

I'll get permission after lunch off my boss to give your the drawings/photos if you like.

Kid,
Don't get all caught up in making a show piece. Use a piece of plywood and some panduit. Do it up neatly of course. You will be surprised at how quickly the board changes when your guys start asking "what if" and that is what you want them to do.
I have a friend who is a plant engineer for a large food plant. He claims that the biggest skill improvement ever came from letting his maintenance people "play" with spares on the shelf. They even outfitted a closet with proper wiring, lights and a workbench.

To make it easy to add and remove components the slatwall or slotted MDF is awfully handy. It'll help avoid the swiss cheese resulting from drilling and redrilling mounting holes. 19" racks are handy but not everything is designed for these and then you are adapting things to fit.

The slatwall doesn't get you a real sturdy mounting so if your people will be wiring or otherwise torquing on things then it really isn't best. But if you need to be able to swap things out quickly and easily it is the way to go.

OG

We use Plywood

Kid,

We use ply wood. Works great. Eventually when it turns into swiss cheese, just repalce it. Very inexpensive.

Andrew Evenson

Kid,
I have a training board set up in my house, I just used old industrial duty shelving that we wore replacing, works great its sturdy and sheet metal screws work great for attaching din rail and other components. If I need to expend I can always add on another shelf.