BTEC Assignment Brief

Pearson BTEC Level 3 Engineering AME

Qualification

Unit or Component number

and title Unit 19: Selecting and Using Programmable Controllers

Learning aim(s) (For NQF/RQF Unit 19: Selecting and Using Programmable Controllers
only) P1, P2, P3, P4, M1, M2, D1
Assignment title 1. Selection and Application of PLCs / Using Programming Techniques
Dr. S. Kassim
Assessor

29/06/2022
Hand out date

20/07/2022
Hand in deadline

Part-1 (Tasks 1, 2 and 3)

In this assignment you have been asked to design a slat conveyor belt
control system for BMW Mini plant. They system would convey and count
the number of cars from the final assembly line to the warehouse. This
system would give an alert when the number reaches 50

The conveyor belt is driven by a DC motor which is started when the

system’s proximity sensor detect the presence of a car on the conveyor belt
and continue to run until a stop push button is pressed.

The system has an override manual key switch 1, with three positions.

• Position 0, the system operates automatically using the proximity

sensor and stop functions as described above.
• Position 1, the conveyor belt is kept permanently on regardless if
Vocational Scenario or Context the stop push button is activated.
• Position 2, the conveyor belt is permanently off and will not start
regardless if the proximity sensor is activated or not

Further improvements have been added to the system operations to ensure

the

The system operation is controlled by a PLC based on the input conditions

which are also terminated in the PLC and taken into consideration gap
between ON and OFF states of the proximity sensor based on the length of
the car.

Part-2 (Tasks 4, 5,6 and 7)

Following on from Part 1, BMW Mini are convinced that you may have
made a reasonable choice of a PLC system.

1
2021_22 BTEC Assignment Brief Template
Issue Date: June 2022
 They want you to go ahead with the choice of the PLC system you have
made and write a PLC program to control the system.

Further safety improved has been added to stop the whole system and give
an alert when an emergency stop is pressed to be implemented. In addition,
the system cannot re-start until the emergency stop is deactivated and the
alert turned off.

Task 1: The client wants you to assist them design the system by:
Selection criteria and practical
application 1. Discussing the different styles and types of PLCs and then give a
typical application for each of the styles.
2. Stating the advantages and disadvantages of each style relating to
this application.

Checklist of evidence • Answers to all the questions.

required
Criteria covered by this task:
Unit/Criteria
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
reference
Unit 19/P1 Describe the selection criteria and a practical application for a unitary, a modular and a
rack-mounted programmable controller.

Task 2: The client wants you to assist them design the system by:
System hardware and software
requirements 1. Identifying how many inputs and outputs the PLC will require to
control the operations the system by listing clearly each one of
them.

2
2021_22 BTEC Assignment Brief Template
Issue Date: June 2022
 2. Choosing the right PLC for this application.

Discussing the necessary hardware interfaces to connect the PLC to the rest
of the hardware components and the relevant software to program the PLC.
Checklist of evidence • Answers to all the questions.
required

Criteria covered by this task:

Unit/Criteria
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
reference
Explain the system hardware and software requirements for a programmable controller
Unit 19/P2 application.

Task 3: The client wants you to assist them design the system by:
Benefits and limitations
Discussing the benefits of adding safety features and explain the limitations
of the chosen PLC to control the application, if extra inputs and outputs are
required.
Checklist of evidence • Answers to all the questions.
required

Criteria covered by this task:

Unit/Criteria
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
reference
Explain the benefits and limitations of a programmable controller for a specific
Unit 19/M1
application.

Task 4: The client wants you to provide them with the following:
Use of a Programming Technique
1. Clearly identify the system’s inputs to be connected to the PLC and
the outputs coming out of the PLC to control the system
operations.
2. Draw a fully documented ladder diagram for the sequence,
showing each line clearly.
3. Enter your ladder program into a PC (TIA Portal), giving suitable
labels for each component of the circuit and check your program
for errors.
4. Produce the practical simulation of your program PLCSIM on the
TIA portal.
5. Save the final program on your personal drive as “PLCprogramGO1
(then your initials) and print out a hard copy of your program for
submission with your assignment.

Make sure that the Tutor copies your program onto a memory stick.

3
2021_22 BTEC Assignment Brief Template
Issue Date: June 2022
Checklist of evidence • Answers to all the questions.
required

Criteria covered by this task:

Unit/Criteria
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
reference
Unit 19/P3 Use a programming technique to produce, store and present a program that
demonstrates the full range of instruction types.

Task 5: Write a PLC program to meet these requirements by:

Program Documentation
a. Producing a table of Input and Output functions with their
respective addresses and labels used on TIA Portal software.

b. Explain the development history of your program giving a detailed

account of how you have de-bugged it.

c. Describe the process involve in testing using the TIA Portal

software and produce associated watch and force input/output
tables

Checklist of evidence • Answers to all the questions.

required
Criteria covered by this task:
Unit/Criteria
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
reference
Unit 19/P4 Explain the program documentation that has been used for a complex engineering
application.

Task 6: The client wants you to provide them with the following:
Explain Programming Technique
Having completed your PLC program, describe the programming technique
used and produce a list of all the instruction types used within the program.
Checklist of evidence • Answers to all the questions.
required

Criteria covered by this task:

Unit/Criteria
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
reference
Unit 19/M2 Explain the programming technique used and list the instruction types.

4
2021_22 BTEC Assignment Brief Template
Issue Date: June 2022
Task 7: The client wants you to provide them with the following:
Justify Programming Technique
Having completed your PLC program, justify, with relevant examples, why
you selected the programming methods you adopted for the system to
control the system operations.
Checklist of evidence • Answers to all the questions.
required

Criteria covered by this task:

Unit/Criteria
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
reference
Unit 19/D1 Justify the choice of a specific programming method and the methods used to produce,
store and present the program.
f
Sources of information to Bolton W – Programmable Logic Controllers (Newnes, 2006)
support you with this Bolton W – Instrumentation and Control Systems (Newnes, 2004)
Assignment Hooper J – Introduction to PLCs (Carolina Academic Press, 2004)
Laptop with TIA Portal and PLCSIM installed
Unit 19 Specification

Other assessment
materials attached to this
Assignment Brief
FOR 2012 L1/2 FIRSTS ONLY: If you have not achieved the Level 2 criteria, your work will be
assessed to determine if the following Level 1 criteria have been met.
Criterion
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to: Unit
reference

5
2021_22 BTEC Assignment Brief Template
Issue Date: June 2022