This page briefly covers a PLC programming project, a part of the Industrial Robotics module from college.

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The project was to create and test a PLC based box sorting system in which a conveyer will direct a box to a different destination based on box parameters.

 

Once a viable solution was produced and verified, the code was to be uploaded onto a  pre-built conveyor system consisting of airport grade parts used often in industry.

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This was first done through software, using both an industrial  Ladder Logic-based language and that of a more simple flowchart-based language.  After the system was verified through software, the program was to then be uploaded and tested on a PLC with a simple prototyping I/O board, consisting of 8 switches and 8 LEDs.

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This setup was used previously on the course within assignments. For example, these would involve producing certain expected outputs based on provided inputs or create various LED sequences.

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Sadly I do not have much footage from my college-based projects, as a lot of that content was lost. For this reason, I only have limited footage from this time, mainly from partial backups and old social media posts.

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Otherwise, I would have broken down and annotated the code and tests performed.

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I found the Ladder Logic method of programming simple to learn but annoying to use, being formatted different from most other programming methods used on the course. Though I did see its usefulness when describing a circuit on the system.

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After the code was verified on this method, we had a safety brief involving the conveyer and how to safely work around it.

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After that, it was time to test it on the conveyor system and behold it worked the first time!

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I found this project extremely interesting but also extremely limiting. I wish I had more involvement in the design and production fo the system. As well as this, there was a lot of sensors available to be used, but as the assignment demanded the system to be more timing oriented, most of the system was not used. 

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In summary, a lot was learned but the solution produced seemed too simplistic where the produced code didn't use the full effect of the actuators and sensors and resulted in more pre-produced commands for the components used. 

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Using what was learned at the ABB Robotics training day and my visits to the BMW and Vauxhall factories, I would also like to expend the system to implement a pick and place robot/robots to also direct the items on the convayer.

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