Hybrid PLC Mechatronics - Chapter 9 Planning the Panel

This chapter discusses several issues to be considered when building the automated control application. Included in the chapter are discussions about wire and voltage type. Interfaces between different control elements are also discussed. Safety is reviewed at the panel level as well as at the project level. Standards for drawing generation and drawing types are included as well as an introduction to the AutoCAD Electrical productivity enhancement program. This chapter looks at the construction of a panel and how the construction intersects with the need for safety in the workplace. The need to comply with safety rules over-shadows the other design criteria and has become the determining factor in the design of the control panel. PLCs are still the main element in a panel but their design and the control design in general has been modified to satisfy the need to comply with new safety criteria. While the student may seem at times disconnected from the real-world aspect of panel design, construction and check-out, he or she might be only months or years away from such an activity. And, many times, a company may take the attitude that safety is not important or not in their best interest. This is never the case and every attempt should be made to encourage and demand that rules be followed. There is no compromise on safety! Accompanying Video: PLC Series Chapter 9 - Planning the Panel (45:16) (see Additional Public Access to Materials below)