Detail -
Products and services

PLC / HMI Engineering

PC Control offers automation solutions geared to the client's requirements. We have experience in many industry sectors, and have used many PLC / HMI combinations; including Siemens S5 and S7, InControl, Allen Bradley, Modicon, Mitsubishi, Intouch, WinCC, RSView32, Citect, Adroit.

Our service covers control philosophy design, field instrumentation and electrical installation, PLC hardware and coding, HMI configuration, management and production reporting, total process commissioning and hand-over, backup support and maintenance.
 

Hardware Sales

Industrial instrumentation.
Most brands of PLC hardware.
Remote, Distributed IO modules.
Computers and PC components.
 

Soft PLC / HMI

While traditional PLC systems will always have their place in the process automation market, the role of the soft PLC is becoming more popular as a viable, cost effective alternative. Soft control is where a software program running on a PC executes the control procedures as a PLC would - thus the PC replaces the PLC.

PC Control software consists of a soft PLC, and a fully integrated SCADA package. This allows for realtime process control, as well as a graphic interface for operator interaction. All plant data is available in mimics, production reports, data log files, alarm log files, etc.

Each application is custom designed to meet our client's specific requirements. Software, hardware, and engineering is provided, the control system is designed, engineered, installed and commissioned to the client's satisfaction. Continued backup and on site support is provided after the initial contract is completed.

Later modifications or upgrades are easily integrated, as the system is flexible and expandable.

PC Control software is developed for Win98, Win XP and Win2000. An entry level Intel PC is more than adequate a hardware platform. The soft control PLC and SCADA can range from a single PC standalone system to a fully distributed multi-client multi-server structure over any standard network using TCP/IP.

Control and monitoring activities are processed by the server application using an RS485 twisted pair multi-drop network over a distance of more than a kilometer, communicating with distributed (remote) I/O modules. These modules can consist of digital and analog input and output, counter, optic fiber conversion, and radio telemetry units.
All PLC control activities and I/O scanning is performed by the server application.
The client application is the user interface, and is responsible for graphical display, alarming, reporting, and data logging.

Data can be viewed and manipulated in realtime in any OLE aware 3^rd party application anywhere on the network. Realtime plant production data is immediately available on the manager's desktop PC, at the stores, buyers, or accountants.

PLC functionality consists of full drive control, incorporating safety and process interlocking, as well as sequence control and batching.

HMI functionality includes 3D colour graphics, photographs, bitmaps, and video clips.
Alarm conditions are displayed in an alarm window, and an audible tone is sounded until acknowledged by the operator.
An alarm log entry can be generated in a text file, with date and time stamp.
A voice message can be sounded, or a help file can be launched.
Any process control action can be taken, or any 3^rd party application can be launched.
A text message can be sent to any cell phone with a description of the process alarm, which is also logged to a text file with a date and time stamp.

Management information consists of data logs, alarm/event logs, periodic or triggered production reports - all as text files with date and time stamps.