Long-running PLCs in line for a prize

Mitsubishi is organising a competition to find the oldest FX PLC in continuous operation in the UK.

The FX series PLC is 25 years old this year, has just passed the six million installed milestone and been independently confirmed as the best selling industrial controller ever.

To celebrate Mitsubishi has organised a competition to find the oldest FX PLC in continuous operation in the UK.

The top prize has been arranged with Red Letter Day, a company specialising in the delivery of lifetime achievements - complete with full boasting rights.

"There should be no shortage of entries", says Jeff Whiting, who is masterminding the competition for Mitsubishi.

"We already know of many units that have been working away effectively year after year".

"Their reliability is such that they are often forgotten and only rediscovered during a major overhaul or systems reconfiguration".

Whiting says he even has records of FXs surviving fires, floods and other catastrophes and keeping going.

Being the first mini PLC, they were an immediate success in the automation market, and it wasn't long until engineers started applying it to all sorts of applications beyond conventional industrial machine controls.

They are used in medical equipment, fairground attractions, vending machines, exercise equipment, stages sets, at sea, for laboratory research, in the high street and countless other places.

"By regularly updating the FX, we've kept it at the forefront of technology and maintained a stream of great successes with it".

"It's wonderful to be able to celebrate our success with such an imaginative competition".

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