Best Method to Route Multiple Prox Cables?

alive15 · Jul 10, 2018

Good afternoon,

I have multiple prox cables about 20 feet away from my electrical cabinet. I found these wiring blocks that I can mount close to the machine that lets me plug in my prox cables into the block and then have just one big cable traveling to my panel.

Is there any better way of routing these cables; anything that would be faster or less work for the maintenance team? Using this blocks saves them from drilling more holes into the panel and dealing with all the small prox cables, but maybe there is a better method out there?

Thanks,

sparkie · Jul 10, 2018

There are other brands, but just to give you an idea:

https://ab.rockwellautomation.com/IO/On-Machine-Block-IO/1732-ArmorBlock-IO

You can put these on your machine and just run data back to your control cabinet if the system has a PLC that can read them. The armorblocks are expensive, but there are other brands.

Any type of remote IO will allow you to run your sensors to IO points, then just pull a data cable back to the control cabinet.

You can always set a junction box with terminal blocks inside, then run a conduit or utilize cable tray between the panels. All kinds of ways to do it.

alive15 · Jul 10, 2018

Great, yes I've heard of these before.

By any chance, are there any common practices in the manufacturing industry using a wireless method? So for example, I can have a transmitter module close to the machine and the receiver module inside my panel. So I just wire in the prox cables into the transmitter side and then my receiver side can spit out those signals into like a multi-conductor cable, and then take each individual wire to the respective input / output in the PLC?

The machine is very basic, nothing dangerous or harmful to any person. It would be interesting to send a wireless signal into the PLC, but I don't know if this even exists.

Timeismoney08 · Jul 10, 2018

alive15 said:
Great, yes I've heard of these before.

By any chance, are there any common practices in the manufacturing industry using a wireless method? So for example, I can have a transmitter module close to the machine and the receiver module inside my panel. So I just wire in the prox cables into the transmitter side and then my receiver side can spit out those signals into like a multi-conductor cable, and then take each individual wire to the respective input / output in the PLC?

The machine is very basic, nothing dangerous or harmful to any person. It would be interesting to send a wireless signal into the PLC, but I don't know if this even exists.

We've played around with wireless, but I recommend against it. The main reason is cost. General wireless IO is around $500-$700 and an IO block like above, but from Turck, is around $200.

We've used wireless in hard to reach areas where it's difficult to get power to, but it's not often. For wireless, look at Banner.

James Mcquade · Jul 10, 2018

I strongly urge you to stay away from any wireless signals.
Why?
you set the machine up in your shop and it runs like a champ, everyone is happy including the customer.
install it at the plant and it won't run for nothing.
electrical interference, wifi networks, radios, train radios can and do interfere
with wireless devices.

just my opinion and experience,
james

janner_10 · Jul 11, 2018

For a short run like that, I would just use a multi-core cable.

rupej · Jul 11, 2018

Definitely look at IO link if your processor can use it. IFM makes some cost-effective blocks also.

Best Method to Route Multiple Prox Cables?

alive15

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sparkie

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alive15

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James Mcquade

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rupej

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