Updating your industrial automation systems is necessary for sustained productivity, operational uptime and competitiveness- and a programmable logic controller (PLC), which acts as the brain of your machinery, is the single most important component within your automation. However, like all technology, PLCs become obsolete and unsupported and fail to meet with operational efficiency over time.
If you're still utilizing an obsolete PLC system, here are three significant red flags that you should consider as an upgrade.
1. Increased Downtime and System Unreliability
Unplanned system downtime can completely paralyze your ability to produce. Your PLC should perform consistently, and if you have found your PLC to be regularly experiencing down time, planned and unplanned delays, there could be indications that the hardware or firmware has reached the end of its lifecycle. While a number of technical malfunctions can be normal, the continuous malfunctions across your system suggests that you may have a more systemic problem that will only be resolved with a modern high-end performing PLC.
2. Outdated Manufacturer Support and Parts
As technology develops, manufacturers discontinue their support for older models of PLCs. This means you are dealing with a unit that there are no firmware updates, spare parts are now unavailable, and no technical support (if you even had some!). Even if you can get them to send you a replacement at times, if the unit is not supported anymore by the OEM (original equipment manufacturer), this isn’t just a hassle, it's a liability. When you are dealing with parts and systems that are not supported anymore, you open yourself up for daggers to performance and potential un-resolvable down time.
3. Inflexibility to process changes
Your systems must be flexible in today's fast-pace industrial world. If you are dependent on PLCs that cannot be modified to meet new process demands or product variations, or you want to expand, they are becoming a bottleneck to your business. Older PLC units do not offer the programming options or communication links or memory to respond to modern manufacturing. Upgrading your system allows you to modify and expand process completely at will.
Upgrade with Confidence at TopAutoDevice!
At TopAutoDevice, we know how important your automation performance is to your business. This is why we carry modern PLCs from proven manufacturers, including Siemens, Schneider Electric, Omron, Honeywell, and Allen-Bradley. Whether you need better motion control, connectivity in real-time, or simplified programming to meet future industrial needs, we stock the bearings for the customer that requires flexibility and modernization.
Browse our collections today to find the right PLC solution for your operation—and keep your facility running at its best.
