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Material Handling Headlines

Itasca, IL – When it comes to electronic machine controls, including those used in material handling equipment, relays are beginning to encroach into control territory formerly occupied by PLCs.

PLCs continually add capabilities to improve control, connectivity and performance, leaving the field open in traditional application areas for relays where PLCs are not practical from a cost perspective. “Many programmable relays have local displays and LEDs that display input faults, relay status and the process variable,” says Jim McConahay, senior field applications engineer at Moore Industries. “PLCs need an additional-cost HMI along with software to accomplish the same tasks.” Using relays for signal conversion lets a low-cost PLC be employed as the main controller, while the relays perform specialized duties.

In addition, relays are better for many safety-system applications. “Some machine-control applications must adhere to industry safety standards such as IEC 61508 or 61511,” notes McConahay. “Programmable relays come with these approvals at a fraction of the cost of a safety PLC.”

Read the full story at controldesign.com.

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