ABCO Automation integrates NI’s PACs with Rockwell’s PLCs

ABCO Automation reports that it’s using programmable automation controllers (PACs) from National Instruments (NI) to seamlessly integrate testing and automation offerings into existing PLCs. By using NI’s LabView graphical development environment running on an embedded PXI controller, ABCO has created a PAC solution for its automotive wheel speed sensor assemblies and integrated the solution with existing Allen-Bradley PLCs from Rockwell Automation via an RSLinx OPC server, for increased throughput of one part every six seconds.

Increasing demand for greater productivity drives the need for more automation, so many companies are augmenting traditional PLC-based assembly lines with more cost-effective, PC-based technologies, ABCO says. Speed, accuracy, industrial communication capabilities, and interoperability with existing controls are why ABCO chose NI’s PAC platform.

ABCO used an NI PXI-1042 chassis and an NI PXI-8186 controller along with several NI PXI-6070E data acquisition devices to develop a high-speed assembly line that acquires and analyzes waveform data and then communicates with the existing PLC-based control system. Using NI LabView DataSocket technology and Allen-Bradley RSLinx, ABCO integrated the NI PAC hardware with traditional PLCs for seamless control and data monitoring. The PAC system acquires waveforms from an encoder connected to a tone wheel running at a specific speed and analyzes the data to determine pass and fail grades. Acceptable parts are sent to packaging; rejected parts are isolated.

ABCO Automation is a CSIA member as of 2/26/2015

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