Programmable automation controllers take over

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 12, 2002

According to a new survey, the additional functionality of new PLCs has allowed a new class of system to emerge - programmable automation controllers.

The PLC is very much alive and well, with a long life ahead.

However, this industrial workhorse has morphed in numerous ways to expand its appeal.

Automation suppliers continue to improve the PLC to serve market opportunities and specific user needs.

The additional functionality has allowed a new class of system to emerge.

Programmable automation controllers (PACs) offer open industry standards, extended domain functionality, a common development platform, and advanced capabilities.

The PAC concept will play a major role in plant and factory automation, today and in the future.

ARC Advisory Group has coined this new term to help users define their application needs and manufacturers to more clearly communicate the capabilities of their products.

Craig Resnick, ARC's Research Director of Manufacturing Advisory Services said, "PACs address the integration issues confronting OEMs and end users by extending the domain expertise of automation systems, resulting in increased return on assets, reduced lifecycle costs, and a lower total cost of ownership for manufacturers".

Machine builders and OEMs want fewer components in their solution and ones that contain multiple-discipline development and functionality.

The demand for more flexible and modular machines and processes permeates the market.

The PAC's multidomain functionality includes logic, motion, drives, and process control on a single platform.

It can also easily exchange data with networked multivendor systems.

"A PAC is flexible and configurable, so users can customise and optimise it to meet their particular requirements for controlling and automating both machines and plants", according to Craig Resnick.

All parts of the PAC system are designed to maximise software and hardware integration.

There should be one programming and engineering tool for the complete system.

This capability includes transparent access for all parameters and functions within the entire system, combining PLC, remote I/O, motion control, drives, PID control, user guidance, visualisation and data handling, along with a maximum integration level to the enterprise though the use of Ethernet TCP/IP, Internet, and IT standards.

PACs are creating additional opportunities, rather than displacing traditional configurations.

The integrated, common development environment lowers project development and implementation costs.

This will expand the number of financially justifiable projects and the available market opportunities.

Use of PACs will continue to shift the emphasis toward open communication standards and software integration, with less focus on the hardware.

Users will become more focused on the total system performance rather than the hardware selection.

PACs will address user concerns as to how to better monitor and control the real-world devices that are connected to the hardware.

This keeps the suppliers of PACs thinking more about system optimisation and performance and less about market differentiators at the hardware and component level.

Today, manufacturers are increasingly turning to suppliers for services ranging from consulting to full turnkey projects.

Users are refocusing their energies on core competencies and relegating their automation and control integration functions to the automation providers.

This creates a greater need for service and support offerings that will complement and use the multifunctional capabilities of PACs.

An example of this could be web-based monitoring and maintenance through a PAC for logic control, position control, cam-positioning and two-axis motion control.

Operators can access the supplier website to allow technicians to diagnose and troubleshoot problems directly from the plant floor.