Large industries and facilities are no longer run on individual systems that are operated or managed manually. Instead, industrial automation control is used to provide precise, accurate and efficient production throughout the entire facility.
There are always changes to the options in industrial automation control systems. What seems cutting edge today will be outdated in just a few years, which is why the best systems are designed to upgrade and evolve with the technology rather than just feature the best practices in use today.
Solution Options
There are two commonly used options in industrial control systems. One is the programmable logic controllers or PLCs, and the other is the distribution control systems or DCSs.
Both of these types of controllers use microprocessors to control the system. They can also look very much the same to someone without experience in working with the two. They will have their own location in the facility, typically known as a control cabinet where the computer hardware is housed.
The systems will also connect to different servers and computers throughout the facility. These computers can be used to control the system as well as to input commands and provide notifications and warnings.
Which is Best?
The DCSs options are the slightly older of the two technologies. They are relatively easy to install and configure and are very suitable for very large operations where there will not be a lot of changes or growth.
The PLCs industrial automation control option is very responsive and scalable, although it is more difficult to design and configure. To balance that out once they are in place, they can easily be scaled to suit the production changes and growth over time.
If you currently have some automation in the facility. Many of the new types of systems, particularly the PLCs, can be easily integrated with existing setups as part of the configuration process.
