Some of our customers do not realize how easy it is to upgrade our controllers. Compared to the brand names out there, I think our HMI-PLC controllers are the best on the market. One thing that makes them better is the way we can upgrade the controller via a USB memory stick or a MicroSD card with an upgraded application.

Using this method we can do the following

1. Update the Firmware
2. Update the Application
3. Update the Logic
4. Add custom fonts
5. Change the Ethernet 
6. Download log files 
7. Backup controllers as easily as we backup Robots

All of this is amazingly simple.

Here is a link to the Instruction Manual

C100 USB upgrade instructions

Here is a link to the instructional video

It is very common in the industrial sector to have hundreds of feet of conveyor in the building. You can buy good conveyor anywhere used or new. It is repairable and versatile. Where you get into trouble with conveyor is the devices needed to control the conveyor. Let me go through a list.

Other conveyor selection and installation considerations need to be reviewed. You have to power it up first. Generally, conveyor only runs in one direction so you do not have to spend a lot on the motor contactors for each motor. Also in general, conveyors are driven by motors 3hp and below with 1.5 HP and .75 HP being the most common we see. Conveyor gearboxes are usually about 30 to one so you don’t need a huge motor to drive the gearbox. And here is another tip, save money on small conveyor motors by running more than one off a drive or contactor. You can buy a 3HP contactor and run 2x1HP motors without a lot of problems. We do this sometimes when the motors are running 2 sections of conveyor that we want to act as one, such as a corner. For example, you have a conveyor leading into a corner and the corner breaks down. The Lead In conveyor will send product to the floor or other damage without interlocking somehow.

You also have sensors all along the conveyor for letting you know it is jammed or stopped. You don’t want the previous conveyor to be running while the next one is tripped. You will have product everywhere if that happens. Generally we interlock a conveyor to keep this from happening. 

If you buy a conveyor system, besides conveyor selection and installation considerations,  you need a control box. Here is what is in a conveyor controller:
DC Power Supplies, AC power supplies, Motor Breakers, Fuses, Motor Contactors, Motor Drives, Overloads, Timing Relays, Simple Relays, Terminal Blocks, Grounding Bars, Safety Relays, Power Relays, Reset Circuits, PLC Controllers, Selector Switches, Start Buttons, Stop Buttons, E-Stop Buttons, Warning Buzzers, Indicator Lights, Din Rail, Wireway, Distribution Blocks, Distribution Fuse Blocks and more. The cost adds up.

If you are considering a conveyor system, the choices out there make this a huge task. Size and weight of product, space restrictions, number of productions lines, integrating with equipment, location of conveyor, safety evaluations, walking safety, power requirements, type of conveyor (Belt/Roller/Chain/Zero Pressure/Merge/Crossovers). Holy Smoke! No wonder conveyor sales people have to know so much! Here at BTS, we have been doing conveyors for more than 40 years. Call us if you need help. (855) ROBOT-99

If you have any questions on how to solve problems related to your home or business, ask an electrician. For more than 47 years we have been working on our customer’s electrical wiring, devices, outlets and lights. Over the years, we have seen a lot in this business. Maybe we can help you determine what you must do if you have a question.

Please feel free to ask anything.

If you have any questions on how to purchase, install, program or maintain an industrial robot, please reply here. We do not deal with anything except industrial robots. I have experience with Kawasaki, FANUC, KUKA, EPSON and some of the less obscure robots out there.

 

Jerry

Welcome to Bransom Tech Services Blog site: California Robotics and Automation. In the future we will be We do a lot of automation here. If you have a general question about it, please post a comment here. I will do my best to answer your questions and maybe other people can answer questions as well.

 

Jerry