Like Fingers i work with most of the popular PLC hardware and systems, with panels and systems built by our company and other panel shops. Along with the PLC hardware is the purchase, calibration, and installation of control valves, sensors and transmitters for various industrial and high tech customers. After 30+ years in the electronic and pneumatic controls fields there not many device and system mysteries left.
The system that is under construction will automate the manually controlled steam injection RIMS system that has been used to test a couple of new ideas. first was building a flash boiler like an instant water heater to make hot water and steam on a continuous basis that would be blow up resistant, and second is a steam/wort mixing device for raising mash temperatures. PLC hardware is generation one OPTO 22 hardware with a PC running a C++ application to command the hardware that interfaces with industry standard 4-20 MA transmitters and temperature sensors. The only advantage of the opto hardware is the plug in interface modules that save time building interfaces for the ardunio boards that are available. The pumping and control valve panels are under construction during the limited time available with current work schedule, and hope to have them completed in December in time for installation in a new 8' X 16' brew shop constructed by a local company.