The range of PLC suppliers is vast and many offer a number of alternative product ranges with any number of modules, boasting special features.
Our choice must meet the application requirements, provide extra capacity for future development and provide a costeffective solution.
Price is the most commonly stated reason for making a choice, but the true price of a PLC to meet the requirements of a particular application is often much the same over a wide range of supplier equipment.
The final choice of supplier for our PLC will depend upon functionality, support available, customer preferences, user knowledge and price.
These are the issues that must be addressed:
– Functionality: We have to match the application requirements with the features of each of the contending suppliers’ equipment to identify the one that best meets our requirements.
– Support: Before any purchase is made the following points should be confirmed with any manufacturer:
*Training;
*Technical support (on site and over the phone);
*Application support to configure and design a system;
*Rapid exchange/repair of failed equipment;
*Guaranteed support for any products for at least 10 years from purchase.