PLC processors break in 2017?

[RussB]

A big thanks for everyone's response on here. I've been away for a few days hence the late reply.

Very strange you say that Russ as he is intending to retire at the end of 2016.

All this info has set my mind at ease at least that there isn't going to be an issue.

We have quite a few S5's and a couple of old Mitsi's. I've been trying to get these upgraded for a few years now but keep getting my requests for money kicked back at me. Maybe a bigger plan to replace the machines entirely. Or maybe just no appetite to 'risk' it when the machines are so critical to process.

Every year after Christmas I have my fingers firmly crossed when we have to power everything back up again.

Thanks again guys!

I hope to be leaving the rat-race around that same time.

If a manufacturing facility has controls on a process or machine that they plan to keep and make money on that is five years old and they hope to run it for another five years. Plans need to be made to upgrade ASAP, if there are many of these they need to budget to update one or two of the oldest or most important every year.

 

[Tom Jenkins]

All of this reminds me of the infamous Y2k non-disaster. For years people ran around like their hair was on fire, and very very little actually happened in the event!

 

[OkiePC]

All of this reminds me of the infamous Y2k non-disaster. For years people ran around like their hair was on fire, and very very little actually happened in the event!

I spent two weeks filing out paperwork to assure corporate that our electronic devices... each and every one of them from PLC-5 to ATC 328 timers would not explode or fall over dead because of y2k...


Really? Do I have to fill this out for timing relays? "Yes, any and every thing with a timing feature or a clock in it." they said...

 

[jraef]

jraef,

A recent search might have thrown up the year 2017 for the RoHS Hazardous Substance Directive and Industrial monitoring and control instruments, but I would doubt that what uptown47's boss "heard" in the '80s / '90s had anything to do with a Directive that only began in 2003?

But I can see how a confused link between the two may have been made here.

G.

Ah, I missed that he had "heard" it in the 80s, I just thought that was denoting the age of the equipment. So I agree, I don't think anyone in the 80s was thinking of RoHS yet. Funny coinkidink though...

 

[Aabeck]

If we all passed the word around that all S5's & PLC5's & (PLC2's) were going to suffer an immediate, fatal happenstance in 2017 we would be able to sell a lot of upgrades though - might not be ethical, but profitable.

 

[Geospark]

All of this reminds me of the infamous Y2k non-disaster. For years people ran around like their hair was on fire, and very very little actually happened in the event!

Yes, true to an extent Tom. There were many "inconveniences" such as problems with bank cards, payroll, bus ticket systems, and the like, but not too many life or death situations. Although, I do remember seeing in the news a couple of women in the UK who mistakenly had abortions based on test results they had incorrectly received as a result of the Y2K bug. Some isolated incidences, but not a pandemic by any means.

However, it's estimated that over US$400 Billion (in today's money) was spent globally on Y2K in preparatory work before the event. It's also estimated that a further $600 Billion was spent after the event. But many big companies and indeed governments never fully disclosed the costs they incurred.

 

[ASF]

If we all passed the word around that all S5's & PLC5's & (PLC2's) were going to suffer an immediate, fatal happenstance in 2017 we would be able to sell a lot of upgrades though - might not be ethical, but profitable.

Aabeck, you're a genius! Everyone start spreading the word!

I think my favourite thing about the y2k hype when it was at the height of it's madness was walking into a homewares store and seeing an electric hair trimmer with a great big "Y2K SAFE!!!!!!!" starburst all over the box. I completely lost it, mental images of hair trimmers rising up and gaining sentience at midnight on January 1 2000 and trying to destroy humanity had me in tears with laughter

 

[uptown47]

I completely lost it, mental images of hair trimmers rising up and gaining sentience at midnight on January 1 2000 and trying to destroy humanity had me in tears with laughter

Well, I really hope nothing happens now as I've already written the email telling him that all is well !

Although I maybe should have just said it was all true and forced us into a situation where we needed to upgrade some of this dusty old kit.

 

[just the cowboy]

I spent a month and made money

I spent two weeks filing out paperwork to assure corporate that our electronic devices... each and every one of them from PLC-5 to ATC 328 timers would not explode or fall over dead because of y2k...


Really? Do I have to fill this out for timing relays? "Yes, any and every thing with a timing feature or a clock in it." they said...

I had a company pay me for a month to check and test every timer and PLC even if they were the same model #. All PLCs came out ok but i did have a dataliner display with a wrong DAY show up for the date.