Page 23 - MetalForming December 2016

Machine Control and Plant Automation Solutions
Helm-Pak® Features Include:
• PLC based redundant clutch brake control
• Meet or exceed ANSI and OSHA safety requirements
• PLS, die monitoring, brake stop time monitoring and servo feed interface
• Parts, batch and maintenance timers
• Job recipe storage
• Ethernet communication
• Helm browser based WebviewTM networking software
• Downtime and Signature Analysis
Backplane connected tonnage monitoring using Helm strain gage input modules licensed by Rockwell Automation®
Various PLC platforms and operator interfaces available
Keeping Your Process On Course Since 1962
Helm Instrument Co., Inc.
361 West Dussel Drive • Maumee, OH 43537
Phone: 419-893-4356 • Fax: 419-893-1371
email: sales@helminstrument.com • www.helminstrument.com
company, different models communi- cate a bit differently.”
In an ideal world, reasons Eby, all control processors would be identical so that only one specific processor could be stocked to service all of the line hardware and equipment.
“But,” he says, “if X plc is selected for this, and Y for that, stocking and servicing can become a nightmare. It affects maintenance and even staffing levels. It seems that everyone I talk to is looking for a good controls engineer or technician, and one reason is the need to support so many types of con- trol components. The less to support, the better...try to reduce the amount of different software packages and communication protocols that plant control engineers must be familiar with.”
Besides the basic communication and stocking issues, a single commu- nication protocol with identical control components offers other benefits.
“Talking in a single network and accessing and diagnosing all of the equipment in the line without having to plug into different controls using different protocols will greatly ease troubleshooting,” Eby says.
“In addition,” he continues, “with a line set up on a single Ethernet net- work, for example, all line components and their controls can be accessed for remote troubleshooting.”
A single protocol with compatible control processors eases the integration process, Eby adds, as many signals can be shared and will, therefore, not require individual hard-wiring, a com- plicated, costly and time-consuming process.
On top of that, Eby says, with a sin- gle communication protocol, less is more.
“For example,” he says, “If I can use a single human-machine interface (HMI) to communicate to a couple pieces of equipment and have an organized, well-thought-out screen lay- out, I can call up needed information and troubleshoot more easily and more quickly. Common components and a single control system enable that,
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