Why does a AB PanelviewPlus cost so much?

[Coachman]

I got a price on a AB PanelviewPlus 700 and it was $3,329.00.
I am shocked ,I know I go thru Culture Shock everyday but Sticker
Shock of this magnitude is to much. There must be better options
out there. What do you think?

 

[Money4Nothing]

Its because Allen-Bradley is very proud of their RSView ME Runtime which is embedded in the operating system. It actually is pretty easy to use and set up communication with a controller. In some cases we went with PanelView plus because the cost was offset by the savings of engineering time that we estimated. For other applications, its wasn't, so we used another brand of HMI screen.

Usually if I'm using Control Logix, I go with PanelView Plus because its so easy with RSLinx Enterprise. If I'm using micrologix or another brand of PLC, I'm using a different HMI like Red Lion or CMore.

$

 

[Mark Buskell]

Allen-Bradley is VERY PROUD of their products.

You might be able to find a better product but you cannot find an more expensive one.

Ok, enough ragging on A-B.

I do like the fact that you can reference tags directly from the controller. That to me is worth it.

 

[Money4Nothing]

I must point out one thing in support of AB. I have recently (in the last year) purchased several PanelView Plus screens. And whenever I've had any trouble or my electricians needed some help, we received free on-site support from the distributor's AB technical specialists, and one free on-site commissioning from a Rockwell specialist. The free support and training that I've received through the hard work of my distributor has paid for the extra cost that I invested in the PanelView Plus terminals.

However, now that we are more familiar with using them, we don't require as much service. So its more cost-friendly now to look at alternative solutions.

$

 

[Coachman]

Believe me ,I love the product. But just looking at the components,
and other consumer products out there, I believe they are playing
the game very well.

 

[Money4Nothing]

Just like everything, you must make a thorough cost and performance analysis of your application to determine if the price vs performance is appropriate.

$

 

[Tom Jenkins]

AB has to support those helpful distributors with mark-up and cover a fairly significant overhead and development cost. The Panelview plus is excellent hardware, and the direct tag access with the ControlLogix etc. lines is valuable. And, now that the early stage screw-ups are behind them, the software is powerful although not intuitive. A-B also has a high dollar marketing program.

Even with those considerations, though, the PanelView Plus is pricey. I suspect Allen Bradly can charge more because a great many people are willing to pay more. That logo gives many users a warm, fuzzy feeling. It is obviously worth it to those buyers to pay extra for the support and the comfort level and the quality either real or percieved.

 

[Clay B.]

Awesome product. Just real hard to justify the cost of the Cadilac.

 

[MikeGranby]

> Why does a AB PanelviewPlus cost so much?

Because people will pay that for it.

 

[504bloke]

If you dont need an AB sticker on it then i suggest you try Redlion products (or search here for other HMI's), i have switched some of my customers to the G3 range and am very pleased.

 

[BMLLER6758]

How much are the Red Lion HMI´s ???

Are they working as easy as the AB PV+ ??

Are the avaiable in Europe ??

Regards

Bernd

 

[MikeGranby]

Hi Bernd,

Yes, they are available in Europe. Wachendorff [1] are our Germany master distributors, and they will be pleased to help you out. We also have an office in Holland and several sales/support engineers across the EU. I really shouldn't comment on usability as I'd be biased. Rather, why dont you download the Crimson configuration software from our website [2] and try it for yourself?

Cheers, Mike.

[1] http://www.wachendorff.de

[2] http://www.redlion.net

 

[kolyur]

My experience with Allen-Bradley HMI products (Panelview, not PV Plus) is that although expensive, they are extremely durable. We have been using them for years without a single failure. This has not been our experience with some other brands.

As much as I like the Red Lion screens--their functionality greatly surpasses the standard Panelviews--we have experienced a few broken units (all covered by warranty however... and one was partly our fault). But keep in mind that they are about half the cost of a comparable Allen-Bradley unit, and the software is free.

We have also had problems with the Automation Direct screens. Much of our equipment is subject to a lot of vibration and that may be part of the problem.

-John

 

[geniusintraining]

How much are the Red Lion HMI´s ???

Less then AB, I have both, they both have good points and bad

Are they working as easy as the AB PV+ ??

Depending on the application that they are being used for, I have found that AB has better communication setup (configuration) Edit: By better I am saying easier

Are the avaiable in Europe ??

yes

 

[BMLLER6758]

hanx a lot guys !!

I will get me information.

I normaly use AB Panel Views and Panel View +, but its nice to have an alternative. And I didn´t like the German Junk which starts with a "S" and ends also with and "s" !!!!

Regards

Bernd