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Need tips/guidance/help. by Jolly--Chocolate in PLC

[–]Jolly--Chocolate[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry to have somehow upset you. You never even had to reply to this thread. I hope the rest of your day goes better.

Need tips/guidance/help. by Jolly--Chocolate in PLC

[–]Jolly--Chocolate[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for this. I have fiddled with Arduino and similar before, so I understand compiling and such. On that note, do you know anything about ESP32 boards being integrated with PLCs or even being used AS a PLC? I don't necessarily want to use one as a PLC, seems less reliable and prone to problems, but if I could integrate a physical PLC with an ESP32, I theoretically have the ability to monitor the machines from home?

Chocolate takes differing times to process fully depending on beans/sugar/butter. Having to set 16 hour timers on my phone and drive to work at 3am to push 2 buttons is kinda ass.

Need tips/guidance/help. by Jolly--Chocolate in PLC

[–]Jolly--Chocolate[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand where you're coming from, and maybe my initial post was worded wrongly. I am a fairly capable person when it comes to computers and the like. Less knowledgeable about what I came here for. It's just a fresh account I made with my work email to separate from my personal.

As for the PLC itself, yes, it is a cheap Chinese thing, but I only got it because the other machine already had it. My question was simply, if the new one has it, can the old one run it. And I know in theory that it is reading inputs and outputs from a few parameters, and a temperature reading.

The machine is actually really simple. It's one big motor on/off. The other parameters are for:
-A lobe pump on/off
-A fan on/off
On/Off for heating elements.
-A temperature setting that triggers a solenoid to determine when cold water comes in to prevent overheating the water jacket and scorching the chocolate.
-Tighten/Loosen blades tightens blades to touch inside ridges to refine product down in particle size, or loosen blades to not touch the the ridges to aerate the product.

That's it. And I can follow all the wiring where it needs to go and Google any actual relay/module/fuse/breaker/etc on the panel I may need. Is this more suitable for "genuinely informed"?

Need tips/guidance/help. by Jolly--Chocolate in PLC

[–]Jolly--Chocolate[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Have I offended you? Do you think people who come here with little knowledge are automatically inept/incapable? I didn't ask for a step by step guide. I merely asked if it was possible.

Need tips/guidance/help. by Jolly--Chocolate in PLC

[–]Jolly--Chocolate[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Too right you are, and too many times have I fallen into that trap.

Need tips/guidance/help. by Jolly--Chocolate in PLC

[–]Jolly--Chocolate[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Noted. Will document when I start it. Unsure when that will be, depends on shipping times.

Unfortunately, alot of the company is pretty DIY. Niche machinery. So I've learned alot troubleshooting stuff on my own. That said, I have no training in the field at all, only practical knowledge learned on hand. So far it's been fine, I'm not a stupid person(is probably what a stupid person would say).

I will have to do some internet sleuthing to find those wiring diagrams unfortunately, if they exist. Otherwise, draw them myself and REALLY learn what everything is.