Example project · Machining, 9 machines aged 15 to 30 years
Data collection from legacy machines without an interface
Retrofit: PROFINET input modules and a collector PLC wired to the running, cycle and alarm signals, so that machines from the 1990s report to the MES.
This is an example of the scope I deliver, not a description of a specific client deployment. The figures show typical targets for such a project.
Starting point
The machines run reliably but have no communication at all. Nobody knows how much they really work, and replacement decisions are based on gut feeling. A full MES makes no sense without data from these machines.
Solution
A small input module at each machine wired to the signals: running, cycle, alarm, door. An S7-1200 collects the signals and a .NET service reads them via S7 communication and writes them to the MES database. A complete set of wiring schematics in EPLAN so the electrician knows where the signals come from.
Scope of work
- Identifying signals in each machine without touching its control
- Selecting PROFINET input modules and designing the wiring in EPLAN
- Collector PLC program on an S7-1200 with buffering
- .NET service: S7 read into the database, missing-signal detection
- Machine utilisation and alarm time report
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