INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENGINEERING AND PRODUCT DESIGN EDUCATION10 & 11 SEPTEMBER 2009, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON, UK

UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY COLLABORATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLC TRAINING MATERIAL FOR USE IN THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF QUARRY PLANTD. McKeag1, J. J. Blakley1 and N. J. Hanson1 2

1School of Engineering, University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus, Shore Road, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, BT37 0QB2CDE Ireland Ltd, Ballyreagh Industrial Estate, Sandholes Road, Cookstown, Co.Tyrone, BT80 9DG

ABSTRACT This paper describes programmable logic controller (PLC) training material designed and developed as part of a University Industry collaboration in the form of a knowledge transfer partnership (KTP). The training material discussed includes a low cost PLC trainer, the design and development of a Quarry Plant Simulator (QPS), and a Pilot Quarry Plant (PQP) rig. The training material developed can aid engineers in the design and development of quarry plant, and can be used to support undergraduate basic theory courses, laboratory sessions and workshops in the subject area of programmable logic control. The paper presents first-hand experience associated with developing and using the training material and participating in the KTP programme.

Keywords: programmable logic controllers, teaching aids, University industry collaboration, knowledge transfer partnerships (KTP)

ABBREVIATIONSCDE – Convery Design & EngineeringCDE Ireland LimitedDTI – Department of Trade and IndustryHMI – Human Machine InterfaceKTP – Knowledge Transfer PartnershipPLC – Programmable Logic ControllerPQP – Pilot Quarry PlantQPS – Quarry Plant SimulatorTCS – Teaching Company Scheme

1 INTRODUCTIONCDE Ireland Ltd are a Northern Ireland based company specializing in the design and manufacture of tailor made equipment for the sand & aggregate washing and classification, dust washing, wastewater, the materials handling, construction and demolition waste recycling and quarrying industries. Systems are sold worldwide and systems cost range from £70,000 to £12,000,000. They have been operating for over 15 years and have several offices including bases in the UK, Middle East and Asia although their headquarters, Design and Manufacturing operations remains in Cookstown, Northern Ireland. A problem challenge for the Company is keeping pace with the increasing technical and engineering complexity of plant to meet more sophisticated requirements demanded by legislation, and also by clients who, increasingly, see separated and recycled waste as an additional revenue stream. A key control component in many CDE quarry products is a programmable logic controller (PLC). With one definition [1], a programmable logic controller is defined as a solid-state electronic system designed to perform the logic functions previously accomplished by components such as electromechanical relays, drum switches, mechanical timers/counters, etc., for the control and operation of manufacturing process equipment and machinery. Programmable logic controllers have progressed rapidly since their inception in the early 1970s and, in addition to the applications considered here, are now widely used in many manufacturing process and utility industries.

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Consequently a detailed understanding of the operation and use of PLCs is important for many undergraduate students, particularly those who seek eventual employment in these industries.At the School of Engineering, University of Ulster, operation and use of PLCs has been introduced into teaching programmes in a number of BEng. Degree courses in Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering. Currently, specific modules which have a PLC content include Mechatronic, Automation, Control and Instrumentation modules. A challenge for academic staff delivering these modules is to keep pace with changing PLC technology and to develop industrially relevant teaching material, including case studies etc., which interest and motivate students.Expertise possessed in the areas of PLC system design and PLC training by the School of Engineering, University of Ulster has led to CDE (Ireland) Ltd and the University to establish a mutually beneficial collaboration through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme to enable both partners to address their need and weaknesses.The purpose of this paper is to describe aspects of operation of this KTP, particularly aspects of the programme which involves the delivery of PLC training. The paper is organized as follows. Firstly, the KTP program is briefly discussed. Methods for knowledge transfer specific to PLC training are then described and benefits of the partnership to both industrial and academic partners are listed. Finally, some concluding comments are given.

2 CDE/UU KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER PARTNERSHIPSince its inception over 30 years ago, the School of Engineering, University of Ulster has been an active participant in many TCS/KTP programmes. To date, the University has participated in over 130 KTPs, which have been successfully completed in diverse areas ranging from Fine Craft Design to Heavy Engineering.

2.1 Background to KTPsKnowledge transfer partnerships [2] are a business support product operated by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The purpose of a KTP is to facilitate the interactions between a company partner and a knowledge-base, that is, an academic partner, enabling companies to use the research skills and knowledge of academic institutions in order to address specific business needs. KTPs follow on from the Teaching Company Scheme, TCS, which started operation in the 1970s. Currently, in 2009, there are approximately 1400 KTPs in operation in the UK.Each Knowledge Transfer Partnership requires three participants, a UK company, a Knowledge-Based Partner, usually a University, and a graduate, called a KTP Associate. Typically, KTP programmes operate over a 2-3 year period, with the funding for the programme shared between the Department of Trade and Industry and the company. During operation of the KTP, the Associate works under the direction of the Academic Supervisor and a member of the company staff who acts as the Industrial Supervisor. The Industrial Supervisor usually acts as the Associates line manager.

2.2 Aims and scope of the CDE/UU KTPThe aims of the programme are to offer the KTP Associate the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of the Company, access the technology associated with the knowledge base and have a tangible effect on the shape of the company and its future performance. It is intended that successful completion of the project will give the Associate an excellent foundation for career development within the company.The scope of the programme is wide and requires that the Associate develops sufficient knowledge of the business of engineering and all Company processes and be able to identify generic features for process standardization. Further the Associate and Knowledge-Based Partners are required to play a major role in developing the Company’s in-house systems design capability.Specifically, as part of the KTP, the Associate and Knowledge-Based Partner are required to deliver, across the programme, in-house and on-site training material to underpin activities in the following areas: electrical design, PLC programming, and control panel manufacture, assembly and test.

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3 KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER SPECIFIC TO PLC TRAININGIn spite of their importance as a control component, PLCs, as a topic, are often neglected in many UK University engineering degree undergraduate courses. Collins and Lane [3] have noted that a recognized obstacle to the fullest possible benefit of programmable logic control is one of education and training. Difficulties arise, in part, due to the rapid pace of PLC technological development, with new models and innovations continually being introduced by manufacturers. Previous attempts to introduce innovative methods into training programmes involving programmable logic control have included: the use of PLC control of laboratory scale models [4, 5, 6]; the development and use of ladder-logic simulators [7, 8, 9]; and, the use of multimedia-based courseware [10].Company management in consultation with the University academics developed an approach to address the needs of the company and the University. CDE required staff training and control simulation for new plant designs. They also needed access to future graduates with a sound knowledge and understanding of PLC programming. The University needed to produce graduates with appropriate knowledge and understanding of PLC systems and associated programming and this educational requirement was commensurate with the academic requirements of relevant modules, courses and programmes. Three systems are developed and employed: a low cost PLC trainer and a laboratory scale model in the form of a quarry plant simulator (QPS) both at the University and a pilot quarry plant (PQP) rig for training staff at CDE. All of these systems are based on commercially available Allen-Bradley® PLC’s.

3.1 A low cost PLC trainerThis low cost PLC trainer, approximately £370 per unit, shown in Figure 1 provides an introduction to PLC programming. This trainer consists of an Allen-Bradley® Micrologix 1000, 16 I/O PLC with 24 V dc inputs, relay outputs and a 110/240 V dc power supply. The trainer is supplied with RSLogix 500 software enabling ladder logic diagrams to be written. The trainer is fitted with input switch simulators and output indicators which enable ladder diagram programs to be run and tested.Using this PLC trainer, eight individual PLC laboratories have been designed and developed. Trainer laboratory topics are: Writing and running ladder logic programs; Relay type instructions; Programming timers; Programming counters; Comparison instructions; Data manipulation instructions (Move/logical); Math instructions; and, Sequencer and shift register instructions.These laboratories and associated courseware provide the basis for a first course in PLC programming and are to be designed to be used by undergraduate students meeting programmable logic controllers for the first time. The material is also intended to be useful for project engineers not experienced with PLCs. These laboratories have been used in the delivery of undergraduate basic theory courses, module laboratory programmes and KTP/UU workshops.

Figure 1 A low cost PLC trainer

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3.2 Design of the Quarry Plant Simulator (QPS)The quarry plant simulator (QPS), shown in Figure 2, is a laboratory rig which represents an extension in capabilities over the basic PLC trainer discussed in the last section of this paper. In implementing the QPS a schematic diagram of a typical CDE quarry plant was digitally scanned and copied on to photographic paper and attached to a backing board. This was used to realize a large mimic board. Sheet aluminum was then used to construct a base unit to which the mimic board, an Allen-Bradley® 1500 series PLC, additional I/O units (both digital and analogue) and an Allen-Bradley® Panel View Plus 400 Human Machine Interface (HMI) were added. To complete the simulator, output indicator lamps and input simulator switches were fitted. The quarry plant simulator has proved to be ideal for case study work, and the intention is to offer final-year undergraduate project topics which would involve using the simulator. It also enables the use of analogue input signals to be demonstrated to students, and the important topic of HMI programming and use can be covered. Further, it enables the logic flow and interaction of units in a typical quarry plant to be demonstrated, and hence can be used as a training aid for engineers to assist the design and development of quarry plant PLC controllers.

Figure 2 Quarry Plant Simulator (QPS)

3.3 Design of the Pilot Quarry Plant (PQP)The pilot quarry plant (PQP) represents, to date, the most realistic equipment developed within the programme. Figure 3 shows a photograph of the internal components of the PQP training control panel, and Figure 4 shows an external view of the control cabinet. As can be seen from Figure 3, in addition to the PLC modules, the PQP control panel contains motor contactors, motor starters etc. and panel wiring. A limited number of actual motors can be controlled from the panel to demonstrate operation of a quarry plant.The control panel PLC can be programmed with suitable ladder logic programs that will demonstrate to project engineers within the company the operation of a typical control panel on site. Also, as part of the training, typical faults that can occur on site can be introduced, with solutions given on how to quickly remedy them. The main aim of the training is to equip project engineers within the company with a knowledge and understanding needed for control panel electrical design and manufacture, and the ability to diagnose and repair faults that occur on site.

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For undergraduate students at the University, access to actual control panels used on the PQP can, through case studies and workshops, provide an invaluable aid to the understanding of panel manufacture and need for PLC controlled motor contactors and star-delta starters.

Figure 3 Internal components of the PQP Training panel

Figure 4 External view of the training control panel

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4 BENEFITS OF THE PARTNERSHIP Benefits have resulted for all three of the participants in the University Industry collaboration described in this paper. For the Knowledge-Based Partner, the KTP has resulted in opportunities to: access funding; increase the relevance of PLC teaching; generate new and innovative teaching material; obtain PLC equipment; and, gain experience of working in a commercial environment. On the other hand, the Company has been able to access and make use of the research skills, expertise and laboratory/ workshop facilities of the University. Finally, the KTP Associate, who acted as the facilitator of the knowledge transfer between the University and Company, has gained experience and skills in both the technical, in this case PLC system design and electrical design, and project management areas.

5 CONCLUDING COMMENTSTo meet the demand for more sophisticated control and automation requirements from many clients within the quarrying and recycling industries around the world CDE Ireland Ltd entered into a fixed term Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) whereby the company were able to gain access to substantial knowledge and experience from the University of Ulster through a KTP Associate who was a recent graduate. The University was able to gain benefits from the partnership through the development of new material to teach current and future students and the use of financial resources to purchase up to date PLCs to replace existing systems.This paper has described a successful three stage approach to developing a substantial portfolio of teaching and learning material and equipment that can be used to teach students within the University of Ulster and to train and develop the skills of Project Engineers within a specific control and automation industry, namely quarrying and water treatment through CDE Ireland Ltd.

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[6] Cheded L. and Fan A. Controlling a large process with a small PLC: A senior project experience. Int. J. Elect. Enging. Educ., Volume 35, 1998, pp. 333-349.

[7] Picard R. P. and Savage G. J. Instructing industrial controls using ladder diagrams on an IBM PC. IEEE Trans. Educ., Volume 29(1). 1986, pp. 27-30.

[8] Chan C. W., Ong C. H. and Ong E. C. A programmable logic controller. In Proc. Third International Conference on Automation, Robotics and Computer Vision, ICARCV ’94 Singapore, 1994, pp. 1534-1538.

[9] Documentation for the Bytronic Ladder Logic Editor and PLC Simulator (LADSIM), Bytronic International Ltd., The Courtyard Reddicap Trading Estate, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B75 7BU, England.

[10] Blakley J. J. and Irvine D. A. Teaching programmable logic controllers using multimedia-based courseware. Int. J. Elect. Enging. Educ., Volume 27, 2000, pp. 305-315.

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