As manufacturing plants are under greater pressure to increase profitability and uptime while improving operational efficiency, these plants are now seeking ways to reduce the causes of downtime and inefficiency that were once considered acceptable – like the time required to replace a spare part. High availability (HA) technology and systems have long been used to assure uptime in DCS systems but have not similarly been employed in PLC-based control systems. This has been true partly because the failure rates of PLC/PACs have typically been considered acceptable. This is changing as these systems become more and more integral and critical. The main reason HA hasn’t been implemented in these systems, however, is because the cost and complexity of building in PLC/PAC system redundancy has traditionally been complex and costly. Modern PLC and edge controller architecture, however, has changed that.
In my recent article in Technical Review Middle East, I detail the ease with which today’s plants can provide an additional layer of protection against downtime by implementing high availability in PLC and edge controller systems for less than the cost of a spare. You’ll be surprised at how these facts differ from the last generation's expectations and open new doors to profitability for your plant. Read the full article here.