Flexible Electronic Systems was recently contracted to install the complete control system on a prototype tracked loader, which will be operating underground in the platinum mines, clearing the blast area and moving the ore. The need for safety in this hazardous process of removing the ore was the driving motivation behind the design of the 'tank' type loader, which is only 1,4 m in height, enabling it to operate near the rock face where the roof is not supported yet. A Deutz diesel engine was used to drive the hydraulic pumps, Bosch hydraulic proportional servo valves for the bucket lift and tilt and a Bosch PLC as the controller, with two Euchner joysticks each having two-control axis.
The loader had to be built with components that could be subjected to heavy mechanical stress, without having to constantly bring the machine up to the surface for maintenance. Accessing the machine once it is in the field is a time-consuming and cumbersome exercise, so it had to be built for flawless operation. We found that the Bosch CL150 PLC was robust enough to operate in such a harsh environment. Diverse functions are controlled by this compact PLC, including the hydraulic servos, the remote control and the engine management. For its size the little PLC can handle most tasks that would previously have required a bigger and more costly PLC, much to the delight of the OEM. By employing this level of technology, we gave the client total flexibility, as all the functions and controls are software driven. A software solution for a 'hard-wear' application.
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PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
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An obsolete control component rarely fails in isolation. Before ordering an exact spare, manufacturer successor or engineered alternative, maintenance and procurement teams should work through seven checks to define the problem properly and avoid a costly mismatch.
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Schneider Electric argues that virtualising DCS environments breaks the cycle of hardware obsolescence, giving plant operators a smarter path to lifecycle modernisation without production disruption.
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The Loop Signature series turns to frequency plot theory, explaining Bode open-loop plots and how dynamic gain, phase lag and crossover frequency can be extracted from test data to inform more accurate control loop tuning.
Read more...PC-based control in surgery Beckhoff Automation
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Researchers at the University of Basel are using Beckhoff PC-based control technology to develop a miniature laser robot for minimally invasive bone surgery.
Read more...How the DCS can step off the hardware obsolescence treadmill Schneider Electric South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Ageing servers and unsupported operating systems are quietly eroding the stability of process plants that rely on distributed control systems. Kobus Vermeulen of Schneider Electric explains how virtualising the DCS environment can break the hardware obsolescence cycle without disrupting operations.
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