EZ Automation PLC's

EZAutomation PLCs

I had to wait for nearly a month to get my first shipment from EZAutomation (more than 3 weeks less than 4, I think it was officailly 25 days). While inspecting them I also noticed they were a little on the cheap side but in reality it was right for the price. The software is a bit glitchy, unplugging and re-plugging the USB communication to get a connection that doesn't timeout and other minor inconveniences. The programming was fun UNTIL I tried to use their PID loop for a simple oven project. I tried it for SEVERAL MONTHS with no success. I tried every manual they have and then tried their help online and email. They responded with the same horribly incomplete information again and again, convinced that if I had a stack of the same info it would make more sense than trying something different. I have to admit that the sales people attempted to help more than the tech people. The one sales person connected me with a supposed customer that used the PID loop frequently who was going to help me, problem was that we could never connect so I started to wonder if this was an actual person or someone who alternately exists. I never was able to get their PID to work and don't actually believe that it does even with the reassurance of the president of EZAutomation who seems to care and who does step in after everything is way too late. He at least listened to my complaining but offered no solution before the PLC went into use.
If I hadn't specifically asked about the PID in the pre-sales conversations I would blame myself for not asking the right questions but I was assured that there were people that would get me running no matter what it took and if worse came to worse I could hire someone to write for me. It ended up that I posted on their forum that I would pay to get it working, no one responded (not true-1 responded asking if I had tried their helpful tech people). That's what sales people do. I ended up writing my own PID loop probably not as professional as theirs BUT MINE WORKS! I don't see how I could be persuaded to try them again. They did give me an in-store credit for the first PLC that their tech person destroyed "helping" me so I had to buy another to finish the project. That is really nice to have an in-store credit for a place I won't shop at again.
I would categorize myself as an unhappy customer of theirs.

Wow 73% Nope! Sounds like who ever they are they need a new marketing manager...

EZPLC PID Setup & Autotuning

This might help with EZPLC PID. It is a new release from EZAutomation and this manual guides users how to setup and auto-tune the PID.

The manual can be downloaded at: http://www.ezautomation.net/ezplc/ezplc_fixed.htm

Look under the PLC feature tab. Tried uploading here but PLCTalk limits the size to 300KB and the PDF is 1.7 MB.

Depends on the application

This is really not a question of comparing Allen Bradley and AD products. These are two different classes of products.

I personally wouldn't take a Honda Civic to the track if I was going to race in the Daytona 500. The car would be seriously outclassed and way under the required specification for the race. On the other hand, I would drive the #88 (or any other NASCAR vehicle) back and forth to work on my daily commute. The car would be WAY over-spec'd and a waste of power and resources.

In my experience Automation Direct products are the Honda Civics of the PLC world. (Maybe more like the Kia Rio...but I digress) They work fine for non-industrial (or light industrial), low I/O count, non processor intensive projects. One exception to this is the C-More line of touchscreens. I used one of these in a steel mill with surprisingly good results.

The Allen Bradley products are much more robust and there are a lot more bells and whistles in their software and hardware that you just don't get with AD.

I have found that, while the AD software is easy to use (relatively), it lacks a lot of the functionality that I am used to having with Allen Bradley.

When you boil it all down, you have to decide what you are using the PLC for.

I started using the EZ DIN rail mount timers that have a couple pushbuttons and an LED display because they appear to be easy for the end user to make a change to. They run surprisingly 'hot' to the touch.

There's a couple dozen out there now. We'll see how long they last.

Dan

Hi DanW
I represent EZAutomation direct from the factory and just wanted to make sure that when you say the Timer is hot to touch, are you referring to the front of timer (i.e. the housing). The EZTimer is rated to 60 deg C operating temperature so as long as your application is within this spec I am sure you will be good. Though this product is fairly new in the market (launched about 18 months ago), there are tens of thousands of these timers now in the field and I can say that those that initially shipped in 2015 are functioning very well. They are also UL, CE approved and made in America just FYI. Please do not hesitate to contact our tech support group or me directly on this chat if I can be of any help technically.

Thanks.

sfindley said:

This is really not a question of comparing Allen Bradley and AD products. These are two different classes of products.

I personally wouldn't take a Honda Civic to the track if I was going to race in the Daytona 500. The car would be seriously outclassed and way under the required specification for the race. On the other hand, I would drive the #88 (or any other NASCAR vehicle) back and forth to work on my daily commute. The car would be WAY over-spec'd and a waste of power and resources.

In my experience Automation Direct products are the Honda Civics of the PLC world. (Maybe more like the Kia Rio...but I digress) They work fine for non-industrial (or light industrial), low I/O count, non processor intensive projects. One exception to this is the C-More line of touchscreens. I used one of these in a steel mill with surprisingly good results.

The Allen Bradley products are much more robust and there are a lot more bells and whistles in their software and hardware that you just don't get with AD.

I have found that, while the AD software is easy to use (relatively), it lacks a lot of the functionality that I am used to having with Allen Bradley.

When you boil it all down, you have to decide what you are using the PLC for.

Click to expand...

This thread is about EZAutomation PLCs and not AutomationDirect PLCs. Also, have you looked at AutomationDirect lately? With the Productivity line and the Do-More line I think you would be surprised with regards to how they stand up to AB.

Have used EZ PLC's, EZ PLC/Text Panels, and EZ HMI's The programming software for all of them is simple and straight forward. The PLC software does allow for subroutine programming, unlike old Automation Direct DirectSoft programming software. AB has the best PLC software on the market PERIOD. I have used it since the early 1990's (DOS then Windows versions) and no one can touch them. That being said - I hate the new CCW software used to program the Micro800 Series. Cannot print programs properly, buggy (had one unit stop the production line when I tried to access it online - developer edition), online editing painfully slow and cost is not all that cheap.

As for made in Ohio or Wisconsin, I have checked everything AB in our shop and cannot find a PLC (SLC, ML1200, Compactlogix, Micor800), I/O card (for all the above), drive, PB, relay or LS and cannot find anything made in the USA! (Unless it is 10 years old or older!) EZ wins this category hands down!

We have over 40 EZ HMI's installed and running, over the last 9 years, and have had only a few minor issues. Easy to program, easy to communicate with (PLC & PC) and the new software and high resolution screen are great for the price. AB FactoryTalk, IMHO is overpriced, overly complicated to use and the TouchPanels are way to expensive.

Anyway, there is my 2 cents.