Industrial automation (55-704553)

Lecture 1: Introduction to
Industrial Automation and PLCs
Dr Salah Talamali
Lecturer in Automation, Control, and Robotics
Sheffield Hallam University
 Who am I?
• Salah Talamali, PhD
ü PhD in Computer Science (area: swarm robotics and intelligence)
ü MSc in Automation in Automation, Control, and Robotics
ü MEng in Automation and Control engineering

• Lecturer in Automation, Control, and Robotics

• [You can call me: Salah]

• I completed my PhD at the University of Sheffield as part of the

Sheffield Robotics Lab

• I worked as a researcher at University College London (UCL)

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 About my research
Creating artificial intelligence to enable swarms of simple and tiny robots to
Efficiently collect objects spread in the environments Monitoring and adapting to dynamic environments

Talamali et al, Swarm Intell 14, 25–56 (2020) Talamali et al, Science Robotics 6 (56), eabf1416
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How do you contact me?

• Mainly: in class

• Email: [email protected] (Please email me for very private class

matters or if you need to arrange a meeting with me)

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The Industrial Automation team

• Module leader (Lectures and Labs): Salah Talamali

• Lab Technical Support: Jeremy Bladen ([email protected]); e.g. for

lab availability.

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Who you are?
STUDENTS COURSES AND BACKGROUNDS
AUTOMATION CONTROL AND ROBOTICS (78) ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING (73)
MENG MECHANICAL ENGINEERING (6) ADVANCED ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT (12)

7%
4%

46%

43%
Total number of student: 169

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Module’s content
Lectures: PLC’s, Pneumatics, Siemens/Simatic programming, SCADA
Systems, Safety Systems

Tutorials: Ladder programming, Sequential Function Charts (SFCs),

Pneumatics (Siemens 1200), Workstations (Siemens 300)

Assessment:
• Exam (60%): 3 our of 3 questions (you need to answer all questions)
• Coursework (40%): PLC/HMI programming – Group work / Group
report – Due 04/05/2023
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Coursework (40% of the overall module mark)
• PLC programming
• HMI design
• PID tuning
• Academic report writing

• Each group of students will work on a workstation.

You need to submit a group report.
• Report: 2000 words (roughly 4 pages of text
excluding figures)
• Deadline: 04/05/2022
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Module’s learning outcomes

• Possess a sound knowledge of the key subject areas of industrial

automation, gain expertise in industrial automation applications and
critically analyse their implications.

• Design, install and maintain automation and control systems.

• Select and apply analysis methods and computer software relevant to

industrial automation to carry out engineering/industrial tasks.

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Session’s content

1. Introduction to Industrial Automation

2. Programable Logic Controllers (PLCs)

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 Health & Safety
• Fire Exit
• Fire Assembly Point (Sheaf & EMB Building)

• Hazardous Voltages (PLC 24V)

• COSHH liquids

• Trapping Hazards

• PAT tested equipment (in date and working)

if damage to equipment is found report to the
nearest staff member
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 Career opportunities
PLC
programmer
Source:

PLC
Engineer
January 2023
SCADA
Engineer

Other job titles: Process Optimisation – Energy Optimisation – Environmental Engineer …

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 What is Industrial Automation?

Industrial automation is the

use of control systems,
such as computers or
robots, and information
technologies for handling
different processes and
machineries in an industry
to replace a human being.

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Industrial Automation by Industry
Process Automation Factory Automation
• Oil & gas • Machine manufacturing
• Chemical • Automotive & transportation
• Paper & pulp • Electrical and electronics
• Pharmaceuticals
• Aerospace & defence
• Mining & metals
• Food & beverages • Etc.
• Electric power generation
• Petrochemicals & fertilizers
• Water and wastewater
management
• Others
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Advantages and Disadvantages of
Industrial Automation
Advantages: Disadvantages:
• Lower operating cost • High initial cost
• High productivity • Substantial training costs
• High quality
• High flexibility
• High information accuracy
• High safety

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Major Players in the Global Industrial
Automation Market

- Siemens AG (Germany) - Honeywell International (U.S.)

- Emerson Electric Co. (U.S.) - Mitsubishi Electric (Japan)
- General Electric Company (U.S.) - Yokogawa Electric (Japan)
- Schneider Electric SA (France) - Rockwell Automation (U.S.)
- ABB, Ltd. (Switzerland) - Johnson Controls (U.S.)

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Common Acronyms
• HMI Human Machine Interface
• I/O Input / Output
• MCC Motor Control Centre
• Profibus Process Field Bus
• PLC Programmable Logic Controller
• TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
• SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
• DCS Distributed Control Systems
• P&IDs Piping and Instrument Diagrams
• RTU Remote Terminal Unit

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Instrumentation, Control, and Automation
Within the scope of this module we aim to explain:
how a signal can be taken from a process or an instrument in the field

To being used for control in a PLC And monitored on SCADA

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Relay Logic
Relay Logic: Pre 1960's all systems were based on Relay logic and relied on
relays being wired together to create the logic gates and thus the system required.

Advantages:
- Cost effective on a really small scale
- Absolutely no programming skills required at all

Disadvantages:
- Takes up a big space for fairly medium to large size systems
- Prone to a lot of errors due to manual wiring, crimping and screwing of wires
- Rectifying errors takes a long time due to rewiring etc.
- Fault finding difficult due to a lot of relays and wires going everywhere

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What is a relay and how it works

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Relay De-Energised

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Relay Energised

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Programmable Logic Controller
A PLC is a special form of microprocessor based controller that uses a
programmable memory to store instructions and to implement
functions such as Logic, Sequencing, Timing, Counting and Arithmetic in
order to control machines and processes and are designed to be
operated by engineers with limited knowledge of PC's and computing
Languages.

Basic PLC function

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PLC: the brain of an industrial setup

Human Brain and ‘wiring’ PLC and wiring

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 Advantages and Disadvantages of PLCs
Advantages:
- For Industry designed to withstand vibrations, temperature, humidity and noise
- Easily expanded with more inputs/outputs, controllers and other cards
- Software based therefore easy to reprogram and to add functionality without rewiring
- Controllable and Reliable due to showing fault codes when there is a hardware or software
problem.
- One Controller Box, instead of a lot of components
- Takes up a lot less space since the plc's are made more compact
- Cost effective for medium to large systems
- Repeatable and 24/7 operation
- Faster due to quicker transistor switching time compared to an inductive relay

Disadvantages:
- Cost ineffective on a really small scale (although very small plc's are available)
- Cannot handle large amounts of data like (video, sound files etc.)
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Relay Cabinet vs PLC Cabinet

Relay Based system converted to a PLC

based system showing the differences.
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PLC Hardware

- Main Processor
- Input interface
- Output interface
- Memory
- Communications Devices
- Power Supply

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PLC Internal Architecture

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Synchronous and Asynchronous actions

• Synchronous systems: Every action is on a timed basis.

• Asynchronous systems: Every Action is started as soon as the

previous action has finished (regardless of time).

• A PLC system can do both types of actions

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Synchronous and Asynchronous actions
• Example:
A PLC can be Asynchronous by
moving cylinders and waiting
till the cylinder has extended
(whatever time it takes) to hit
the sensor and do the next
action. It can also use timers
to do certain actions in
specific times which can make
the system synchronous.

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 PLC Processing
How does the PLC read and process it's data?
1. Scan all inputs and save these to RAM
2. Carry out the logic program from the inputs
3. Update all the outputs in RAM and set the outputs
4. Repeat the Sequence

Time taken for one process is called Cycle Time and is typical between ~10 to
50ms. One Instruction takes around ~0.065us

Question 1: How many Instructions can a PLC deal with in one Cycle Time of 10ms?

Question 2: What is the pulse read frequency at 10ms?

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PLC Processing
Answer 1: 10ms/ 0.065us =~153000 instructions IF there are no other background functions stealing any
time from the cycle time.

Answer 2: One reading per Cycle Time: 1/10ms = 1/0.010 = 100Hz.

Most PLC's do have faster inputs called High Speed Counters which use hardware or special software
interrupt routines to be able to count, for example Encoder pulses which can have a frequency of up to
100kHz.

Cycle Time is determined by

- CPU used, clock frequency etc.
- Size of program to be scanned
- Number of inputs/outputs to be read and set
- Instruction time (varies on complexity of functions)
- any other system functions that run in the background i.e. communications with HMI's, SCADA or
processing data from ADC and DAC's etc.
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Selection of world leading PLC brands

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 Why not a PC?
The Advantages of a programmable logic controller massively out way the relay logic but
why not use a PC?

PCs:
- Personal Computers are optimised for calculation and display tasks
- Personal Computers are Asynchronous when using an operating system

PLCs
- PLC's are optimised for control tasks and the industrial environment
- PLC's have interfacing for inputs and outputs already inside the controller
- Easily programmed and easily understood programming language primarily concerned with
logic and switching operations therefore the average engineer can work with these systems
and doesn't require complex software skills.
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Common PLC’s Inputs (Devices/Sensors)
Digital:
- Mechanical Switches i.e. Buttons (logic 0 or 1)
- Proximity Switches i.e. magnetic or inductive (logic 0 or 1)
- Photoelectric Sensors i.e. Diffuse sensors (light) (logic 0 or 1)
- Encoders use crystals or other (fast pulses for counting up to 100kHz or higher)

Analogue:
- Temperature Sensors i.e. Thermo-diodes/Thermo-transistors or Thermo-Couples
- Position/Displacement Sensor i.e. Potentiometer or LVDT
- Strain Gauges
- Pressure Sensors
- Liquid Level Sensors
- Fluid Flow Measurement

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Common PLC’s Outputs (Devices/Actuators)
- Relays/ Contactors
- Directional Control valves for (Pneumatic Air or Hydraulic Oil) cylinders or pistons
- DC Motors
- Stepper Motors
- To run an AC motor a plc would control a Contactor to switch the AC supply to an AC motor etc.

Output Examples:
- Conveyor Belts
- A Lift
- A Robot Control System
- Liquid Level Monitoring
- Sorting Machines
- Packaging Machines
- Production Machines, etc.

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 Questions?
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