Products and Services
PLC-Easy software library:
The library is available for a one time license fee per EPAC (PLC). The license includes unlimited access to instruction manuals describing the library in detail and phone support.
Pricing:
The pricing of the library is depending on the number of software modules required to create the application (number of valves, digitals, sequences etc.).
The pricing schedule allows for reduced prices for higher software module volume purchases acquired in a single year.
Training:
Training sessions are available in an online environment or at a desired location and is provided by a qualified PLC-Easy instructor.
Turnkey engineering and project support services:
Engineering services to support projects or turnkey project engineering services can be provided upon request.
Sample
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The following project was conducted for DVNutrition in the Netherlands, encompassing a Pasteurizer consisting of 182 hardwired field sensors and actuators (inputs/outputs or I/O). The programming of the Pasteurizer application with PLC-Easy was realized in 40 hours. Another 40 hours was spent testing and experimenting with the Pasteurizer and PLC-Easy in a test environment.
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Pasteurizer Graphic:
Software Reduction Achieved for Pasteurizer Project
For process control applications, PLC-Easy will reduce the amount of software in an application by at least 30%.
As pilot project, the controls for a Pasteurizer was migrated to PLC-Easy where 47 FC's (software sheets) were replaced by 5. In the case of the pilot project, the reduction achieved exceeded the stated 30% by a multitude.
Existing 47 FC's replaced by 5: PLC-Easy
Relationship between input/output count and engineering hours
The pilot project included the creation of PLC code, SCADA graphic and messaging (for process states including sequencing, routing, CIP, and alarming, warning and hardware issues/diagnostics). Hardware design (PLC, network and communications design etc.) were excluded from the project as it was implemented as test for an existing Pasteurizer.
The main focus of the project was to gauge the flexibility, ease and speed of the implementation process using PLC-Easy. For the pilot project the duration or speed in "I/O per hour" for the implementation phase only was :
13.2 minutes per I/O (40 hours - 182 I/O = 0.22 hour per I/O)
The project's complete duration or speed in "I/O per hour" for the implementation and test phase was :
26.4 minutes per I/O (80 hours - 182 I/O = 0.44 hour per I/O)
The Pasteurizer application functionality encompassed: Individual device control (pump, valve etc.) grouped control of devices, sequencing, routing, cleaning in place and alarming (process and hardware diagnostics).
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For the purpose of conservatively budgeting and estimating a project utilizing PLC-Easy, the 26.4 minutes per I/O is rounded up to 30 minutes. For the PLC hardware design and configuration, a duration of 10 minutes per I/O point is estimated. The hardware and software engineering hours per I/O point for a project utilizing PLC-Easy is therefore conservatively estimated at 40 minutes per I/O.
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Below a graph showing the relation between engineering/programming/management hours and the I/O count (size of a control system). Empirically determined engineering hours and conservatively projected against PLC-Easy for:
- PLC-SCADA: 3 hours per Input/Output
- DCS: 2 hours per Input/Output
- PLC-Easy: 40 minutes per Input/Output
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(Including: 10 mins per I/O for hardware design)
The following is a conservative budget for the implemention of a 4000 I/O control system based on USD $80 per hour.
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PLC-SCADA: 4000 I/O * 3 hrs = 12,000 hours @ $80/hr = $960,000.00
DCS: 4000 I/O * 2 hrs = 8,000 hours @ $80/hr = $640,000.00
PLC-Easy: 4000 I/O * 40 min. = 2,667 hours @ $80/hr = $210,333.33
Statements by Schneider Electric:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/plc-easy-aid-industrial-controls-community-dick-clement/
Guarantee of software continuity
In the following statement Schneider Electric confirms that the same software continuity guarantee that applies to Schneider built PLC libraries, also applies to PLC-Easy. This means that PLC-Easy based projects will remain unaffected by upgrades and new releases of Schneider software.