ABB PM825 Robot control processor
August 26, 2010 ABB has introduced an integrated PLC and robot controller for robotic unit applications that delivers powerful performance in a single unit. The integrated unit combines ABB’s flexible AC500 PLC with its IRC5 robotic controller, eliminating the cost and space of a separate PLC cabinet and significantly reducing the time associated with setting up and operating the robotic production unit. With up to three local I/O boards and bus communication for remote I/O, the integrated controller provides users with a single point of control over a range of production unit functions, including peripheral production equipment such as grabbers, feeders and auxiliary machines.
Support for all major communication standards, including DeviceNet, PROFIBUS DP, CANopen and Modbus TCP, as well as wireless communication, makes the integrated controller suitable for almost any factory site. Since its launch in 2006, the AC500 PLC has proved popular with original equipment manufacturers and plant operators who are looking for a system that can be easily scaled to meet changing needs. One of the main advantages of a PLC is its flexibility. With Control Builder software, programmers have access to a complete, unified development environment that includes all six IEC61131-3 programming languages and tools for configuration, debugging, and visualization. To help simplify programming and operation, a software framework is included that eliminates the need to build a communication infrastructure between the robot controller and the PLC. The framework includes a user-friendly interactive display on the robot controller interface device FlexPendant. This is a great benefit for system integrators and end users, allowing them to focus on the higher level details of system installation or reconfiguration, the IRC5 controller integrated with AC500 PLC is immediately available, based on a user-friendly, high-performance and low-cost automation platform, providing a one-stop solution for truly scalable and scalable programming.
