Rockwell Automation Plc5 Control System Upgrades To The Controllogix Series Platform

By Author: Glenn Farrier
Total Articles: 123
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The best way to describe today’s fast paced economy is that it’s continually changing and evolving. For many companies, maintaining legacy control panel equipment can be a hindering factor in process efficiency and lean manufacturing. Lack of replacement parts, technical knowledge and modern communication protocols can dramatically impact system uptime and efficiency, while limiting the potential of your automation processes. An example of this can be seen in older Rockwell Automation platforms such as PLC5 Processors and 1771 I/O. This hardware and software platform once provided a modern and reliable solution, but over the years have become increasingly difficult for the manufacturer to support due to component part availability and limited demand. As a result, many of these components are being scheduled for obsolescence as part of the Rockwell Automation Silver Series and will become increasingly difficult and expensive to obtain. In response to this, many companies are wisely pursuing control panel system retrofits and migration strategies in an effort to maintain control panel system integrity and maximize uptime.

As ...
... markets continue to evolve and become more competitive, these market efficiencies have forced companies to look at their control panel systems for upgrade opportunities. Naturally the demand to change out a working, but dated system is often superseded by the realization that replacing I/O and interface devices to match up with the new control panel system can be several times more expensive as the system itself, not including design, installation, commissioning and down-time costs. If it were possible to replace the processor to a more modern ControlLogix PLC platform, while maintaining the existing hardware and peripherals – it would be possible to realize new functionality such as speed, OPC and interfacing without the huge cost of commissioning an entirely new control panel system and the training involved with installing and commissioning that new system.

For this reason, a straight forward path to quickly and easily migrate from the PLC5 controller and 1771 I/O to an Integrated Architecture, like the ControlLogix platform, while maintaining the existing field wiring and physical footprint in your control panel system can be an attractive alternative.

Simplifying and effectively managing your 1771 I/O migrations can provide many benefits to include:

- Eliminate risk and reduce potential downtime.
- Convert I/O without disturbing field wiring connections.
- Program conversion tools help reduce time to rewrite the PLC program.
- Specialized software tools aid in migration and planning.
- Provide network options to upgrade to newer network protocols, while preserving existing networks if desired.
- New advanced architectures provide for increased system flexibility.
- Reduced development time and costs through re-use of engineering practices.
- Improved control and monitoring of existing assets will help to maximize returns.
- Increased access to plant and production information (data acquisition).
- A single programming environment for discrete, motion, process, drive, batch and safety control.

To remain competitive it’s necessary to have a migration strategy for your control panel system that helps you manage and minimize the risk of maintaining your legacy equipment. By choosing to work with a Rockwell Automation Systems Integrator like Quantum Design, you can be sure that your company will realize the maximum benefits of a control panel system upgrade. With over 25 years of expertise designing and supporting Allen Bradley / Rockwell Automation solutions, Quantum Design can provide a team of professionals that will partner with you on an upgrade strategy to help you get the most from your control panel system upgrade investment.

Michael J. Garza Quantum Design, Inc. has been providing high quality automation control solutions, Allen Bradley / Rockwell Automation upgrades and migrations and custom control panels for over 25 years. For more information, please contact Michael Garza at 815.885.1300. Quantum Design, Inc. 8400 E. Riverside Blvd. Rockford, IL 61111.
http://automationcontrolsintegrator.com and http://controlsautomationgroup.com