AUTOMATION USING PLC
ABSTRACT
In today’s world of automation, you now have many cost effective control solutions that allow for advanced computer control. With these advanced control solutions come the gigabytes of process data that can be utilized for quality control, process optimization and maximizing equipment capacity. Each type of system has different costs associated with their implementation.
Many of these costs are associated with proprietary, semi-open control solutions. With advances in PLCs, personal computers and operating systems, end users now have the ability to install cost competitive control solutions while maintaining the quality of control and data availability. The base process to be used in the control solution comparison is a vacuum washer line with knotting and screening. The three systems solutions for the comparison will be a traditional DCS, mini-DCS and PLC/PC (SCADA control).
Introduction to automation defines it, technology associated with it, the application of mechanical, electrical, and computer-based systems to operate and control production, its requirement in industry. The benefits of automation such as Automatic data recording and preparation, greater accuracy and reproducibility of results, reducing costs are also included.
Recently, however, the very existence of SCADA based systems has come into question as they are increasingly seen as extremely vulnerable to cyberwarfare/cyberterrorism attacks. Given the mission critical nature of a large number of SCADA systems, such attacks could, in a worse case scenario, cause massive financial losses through loss of data or actual physical destruction, misuse or theft, even loss of life, either directly or indirectly
