Shamrock Conveyor System

A Revolutionary Innovation for designing and developingConveyor based systems

© 2016 BreakThru Technology, Inc. & Mark Rolfes USA Patent Pending 62433399

Shamrock Conveyor System

Overview

* Replace a collection of tools and processes with a single integrated environment that handles the entire process from design to PLC coding to SCADA

* Utilizes browser based GUI for system interactions

* Revolutionary Innovation for PLC programming

* Dramatic increase in Productivity and Quality

New Project

You are given:* XLS list of conveyors* High Level Schematic

315 Conveyors350 Photoeyes115 Control Stations7 Merges26 Diverts

Your Assignment:

* 2D Passive SCADA* 3D Model for Simulation* Write PLC Code* Document System Requirements* Create/Execute a Test Plan

How many hours do you estimate?

Shamrock Conveyor System

TC2 Origin: OTerm: MG to CL1-05

TC1 Origin: OTerm: LN to CL1

CL2 Origin: LN from TC1Term: LN to SEC

SEC Origin: LN from CL1Term: LN to T1

CL2 Origin: LN from TC8Term: MG to SEC-02

TC8 Origin: OTerm: LN to CL2

TC5 Origin: OTerm: MG to CL2-14 T2

LN from SECLN to G13

T2DV from SEC

LN to G24

G14 LN from T1EP

G27LN from T2, EP

G01 DV from T1_05

EP

Current Environment

Many separate data locationsDifferent Formats, separate data entry effortsLarge subset of similar data

Problems:* Time – multiple data entry of identical data

* Data SynchronizationData often does not match, due to typos, or changing data over time, not being replicated to all areas

* QualityDue to manual effort, there is shakedown, when PLC coding does not match Manifest/Drawings/DDO/Equip DB

* Confusion (especially in the field)Many sources of data – which is ‘correct’ when there are discrepancies?

Manifest

ME - xls

DDO

CE - doc Drawings

CE – cad/pdf

FAT/SAT Test Plans

CE - doc

D-Net Nodes

CE – xls

Equipment DB

CE/SE – sql

PLC Code

CE – ladder

Emulator

CE – Demo 3D

GSD

CE – RsView

New in Version 2

* Ladder Logic Builder

* Demo3D Integration

Design

Documents

FAT/SAT Test Plan

Documents

PLC

Data Definitions

Shamrock Database

Single Repository

of all data about the system

* Conveyors

* Photoeyes

* Control Stations

* Energy Zones

* Merges

* Diverts

* Bar Code Readers

* Other Devices

Browser

Screens

GUI Design

Custom Server

Program

Browser

Screens

Simulation &

Emulation

Browser

Screens

Production

SCADA

Automated

Test Tool

Shamrock Conveyor System

GUI Design Tool

* Browser based GUI Design Tool* View and define System Devices* Graphically define system interactions

Jams, Control Station functions, etc.

Using the Shamrock screens to define the Conveyors that will stop when the Stop Pushbutton on Control Station CS_TC2_05 is pressed.

Simulation Tool

Browser based GUI Simulation/Emulation

* Create Test Plans- Box Creation, Divert Parameters, etc.

* Graphically view boxes moving thru system

* Simulate faults, control station interactions, etc.

* Pre-PLC Mode – Emulates PLC Code on the browser!

* Multiple users can emulate, simultaneously & independently

* Give customers a URL to let them see the system’s operation

* Show at time of proposal, rather than at Factory Acceptance Test

* PLC Mode – Interacts w/PLC Code for complete test- GUI sets bits in PLC memory to emulate devices

Production SCADA

Browser based SCADA

* The same GUI used in design is used in SCADA* No separate tool or design effort needed* Fully integrated, so limited testing effort is needed* Browser based makes it easy for many users to access* Lowers your costs and implementation time

Shamrock Cost Savings - SCADA - 3 Passive SCADA Devices

Current RS View Cost Browser SCADA

Workstation 3,000 Thin Client @$300 900

Special Video Card for 3 Monitor Split

1,000 Video Cards -

Cabling (100-200 ft per video monitor)

500 Hang off Ethernet -

RS View Software - Cost ? 3,000 Special Software -

Setup Hours - 40 x $100/hr 4,000 Setup Hours - 6 600

3 Monitors @$500 1,500 3 Monitors 1,500

Programming - 200 hours 20,000 Programming - 2 hours 200

Total 33,000 Total 3,200

PLC Code BreakThru Technique

So What Does this Mean?

The same exact PLC code can work for multiple system installations. The difference is not the code that runs – the difference is the data that gets downloaded to the PLC.

REVOLUTIONARY INNOVATION

Brings object oriented like programming environment to the PLC development environment. Pre-tested routines can be used from one system to the next.

* Speeds up development time dramatically

* Improves Quality

* Speeds up testing, as the same routines are used across multiple systems

PLC\UDT

CO 14 TC2_01

CO 22 TC2_02

CO 26 TC2_03

CO 31 TC2_04

CS 11 CS_TC2_05

CSFUNC 11 22 26

Shamrock

Database

CO 14 TC2_01

CO 22 TC2_02

CO 26 TC2_03

CO 31 TC2_04

CS 11 CS_TC2_05

CSFUNC STOP 11 22 26

Shamrock Transfers Device Data

And Operational Parameters

To PLC Memory Structures

The Shamrock Conveyor system implements a patent-pending methodology for PLC coding, using a data driven system to dynamically push data to the PLC.

The PLC code uses User Defined Data Types to loop through Conveyor, Photoeye, Control Station (etc) definitions of the systems operation.

The PLC has UDTs and arrays of data for each Device Type.

Procedures loop through the data, assessing inputs and setting outputs.

PLC Code Support

Data Driven Routines* Ladder Logic* Structured Text

Common routines loop through the data to control all aspects of the needed PLC Code

Ladder Logic BuilderFor customers who want their code to look exactly like it does today

Ladder Logic Tag Builder – creates Ladder Logic import file for tagsLadder Logic Rung Builder –

* A Ladder Logic like GUI that allows you to define a Template for a routine* Explodes the code from the Template* Builds a Ladder Logic import file for the routine* Create 1,000 ladder logic rungs in 1 minute

Ladder Logic Rung Builder

Define a Template with Substitution Values, Conditions and Lists

Then use the Output button to build hundreds of ladder logic rungs in a few seconds

Shamrock creates a file compatible with RsLogix “Import Routine” command

Demo 3D Integration

Integration w/ Demo 3D product by Simulate 3D

• On the Scene Visual – UserData = Project Name• Then press one button on the Demo3D screen

Imports Conveyors, Photoeyes, Control Stations, etc.Defines Demo3D Connectors, Merges, DivertsBox Creators and Deleters

The Shamrock Demo model imports in 1 minute:* 315 Conveyors* 350 Photoeyes* 115 Control Stations* 27 Diverts* 7 Merges

Ready to run boxes immediately through Demo 3D

Creates Demo3D PLC tags to communicate with PLC

PLC Hot Backup

How the Hot Backup works:

Each PLC is responsible for setting the outputs for a set of Conveyors. For example, PLC1 is responsible for Conveyors 1 to 100 (and its associated Photoeyes, Control Stations, etc.), and PLC2 is responsible for Conveyors 101 to 200.

Both PLCs read from the DeviceNet inputs and fill the “I_” tags for ALL Conveyors.Both PLCs execute the logic and set the “O_” tags for ALL Conveyors.Each PLC sets the physical outputs only for its assigned Conveyors.Each PLC continually sends a heartbeat signal to the other PLC and to the computer server.

In the instance of an outage for PLC2, PLC1 recognizes that the heartbeat is lost. It then determines that is covering for PLC2, and PLC1 now sets the physical outputs for the PLC2 devices. Since PLC1 has been continuously executing the same logic, it will have all the tracking data needed to seemlessly continue operations.

When the heartbeat from PLC1 is recovered, any necessary data is transferred from PLC1 to PLC2 and then PLC2 resumes control of the physical outputs for its devices.

Within a multi PLC environment, each PLC can have one (or more) PLCs designated as its backup. You need each PLC sized to do the work of 2 PLCs, but this allows for hot backup with no special hardware required. The backup assignments are made via a simple configuration setting.

Scan Routine:

1. Read physical inputs (e.g. DeviceNet) into the “I_” controller tags.2. Process PLC Logic, setting values for “O_” tags.3. Write from “O_” tags to the physical outputs (e.g. DeviceNet)

Shamrock PLC1

Controller Tags

PE.I_Blocked

CO.I_VfdFault

CO.I_MotorDisconnect

CO.O_Run

CS.I_StopButton

CS.I_StartButton

CS.O_Light

CS.O_Alarm

Shamrock PLC2

Controller Tags

PE.I_Blocked

CO.I_VfdFault

CO.I_MotorDisconnect

CO.O_Run

CS.I_StopButton

CS.I_StartButton

CS.O_Light

CS.O_Alarm

The Shamrock Conveyor system implementation includes a patent-pending methodology for PLC hot backup, which requires no special hardware.

Design Documentation

Create one or more Template Documents in Microsoft Word. Define a Word “field” where you want different lists to be substituted. Execute the Shamrock Documentation Creator Wizard to create your output Word document.

Shamrock Conveyor System

Benefits

• Dramatic increase in Productivity and Quality

• Maximize impact of your top engineers

• Browser based GUI interface for entire process

• Show Customers their system operations via a browser and/or 3D at the time of Proposal, instead of waiting for Factory Acceptance Testing

• Alleviate Engineering resource constraints

• Win business that may otherwise be lost