Tag: Industrial control
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Why you should replace your old DCS systems with modern ones
To keep up with evolving technology manufacturers need to upgrade their legacy Distributed Control Systems (DCS). This might be a challenging task to undertake and at a cost to the company, but in the long run the benefits outweigh the costs of doing the upgrade. The legacy DCS systems faces increased components failure that leads…
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Basic Features of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)
Introduction to Programmable Logic Controllers What is a Programmable Logic Controller? A PLC is a user friendly; microprocessor-based specialized equipment that carries out many types of control functions with levels of complexity for use in industrial automation applications. Its objective is to monitor crucial process parameters and adjust process operations accordingly. A PLC can be…
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Pneumatic Actuators
Valves cannot control a process by themselves. Manual valves require an operator to position them to control a process variable. Valves that must be operated remotely and automatically require special devices to move them. These devices are called actuators. Actuators may be pneumatic, hydraulic, electric solenoids or motors. In this article we look at specifically…
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What is a Mechatronics System?
Mechatronics Mechatronics can be defined as a rapidly developing interdisciplinary field of engineering dealing with the design of products whose function relies on the integration of mechanical and electronic components coordinated by a control architecture. The primary disciplines that are important in the design of mechatronic system include mechanics, electronics, controls and computer engineering. A…
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Factors to consider when selecting a Motor for a particular application
When selecting a motor for a specific industrial application, there are several factors and specifications that you should consider. We look at these factors that will guide you when choosing the appropriate motor for your industrial use. The following are some of the key questions or factors that you should consider when choosing the suitable…
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Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) Speed Control of a DC motor
We can control the speed of a motor using an open loop control or closed loop control strategy. The open loop control is the simplest form of motor control; here we simply set the drive voltage value and the motor characteristics and the load determines the operating speed & torque. But you will find that…
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Speed Control of a DC Series Motor
The dc series motor has its windings and armature connected in series across the supply. From the figure above, the armature current Ia also supplies the field, hence when Ia is large on starting for example, the magnetic field will be strong, and the torque will be high. As the machine accelerates, the torque, armature…
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Modes of Automatic Control
The mode of control can be defined as the way or manner in which a control system makes corrections relative to an error that exists between the desired value (setpoint) of a controlled variable and its actual value. Any particular mode of control used for a specific application depends on the characteristic of the process…
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What is the Controller?
A controller is a device that generates an output signal based on the input signal it receives. The input signal is actually an error signal, which is the difference between the measured variable, and the desired value, or setpoint. The input error signal represents the amount of deviation between where the process system is actually…
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Principles of Control Systems
A control system is a system of integrated elements whose function is to maintain a process variable at a desired value or within a desired range of values. The control system monitors a process variable or variables, and then causes some action to occur to maintain the desired system parameter. A good example in a…