AutomationTechBrian
Lifetime Supporting Member
I'm trying to work through a question I have about using a PLC, plus separate temperature and pressure controllers on a plastic extruder rebuild. I'm hoping to get some thoughts from here.
I helped put together a second-hand plastic extruder for a customer back in 2012/13. It was a used PTI machine. Back then, they had a SLC 5/05 for a PLC, and separate loop controllers for the temperature and pressure loops. That was a very successful project, and it has been producing great plastic sheets ever since. Now, they just asked me if I'd like to help them do it again.
I'm not going to use the SLC. I'm probably going to upgrade/update to a Compactlogix. My question is, would you still look at separate controllers for the 36 temperature, and 2 pressure loops? I know it made sense back then, but I know the processors are far superior these days. Also, there might be other considerations to having separate controllers that go beyond the processor's ability to handle the load. However, having all the values in the one PLC would sure simplify the HMI. Does anyone have experience or thoughts to share?
I helped put together a second-hand plastic extruder for a customer back in 2012/13. It was a used PTI machine. Back then, they had a SLC 5/05 for a PLC, and separate loop controllers for the temperature and pressure loops. That was a very successful project, and it has been producing great plastic sheets ever since. Now, they just asked me if I'd like to help them do it again.
I'm not going to use the SLC. I'm probably going to upgrade/update to a Compactlogix. My question is, would you still look at separate controllers for the 36 temperature, and 2 pressure loops? I know it made sense back then, but I know the processors are far superior these days. Also, there might be other considerations to having separate controllers that go beyond the processor's ability to handle the load. However, having all the values in the one PLC would sure simplify the HMI. Does anyone have experience or thoughts to share?