# Most commonly used plc brand?



## MDShunk

It's probably fair to say that A-B is the most common, but after you get that under your belt, you're good to go. So many out there are just copies of each other. I learned on Texas Instruments, Fanuc and Modicon, mostly, and that laid the groundwork for pretty much everything since. Learn one or two, and you'll have the foundation of everything. Just little quirks from brand to brand, and some of the programming software is more featureful than others. That, for me, is what sucks the most. You get used to the "niceness" of some particular programming interface, and switch to another brand that's not as featureful and its like switching from Microsoft Word to Microsoft Notepad, if you get my meaning.


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## TheRick

AB is by far the most common brand of PLC around here...that being said within AB there are several different models available, and each has it's own level of functionality and user-friendliness. 

As long as you learn the fundamentals, you will be fine moving from brand to brand, but each has their own programming quirks that you will need to figure out to become more effecient.


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## InControl

Worldwide, the top 7 suppliers sell about 80 percent of the controllers.

The worldwide market share numbers I found in an excerpt from the Automation Research Corp (arcweb.com) for 2003 are:

Siemens 30.7 %
Rockwell Automation 21.6 %
Mitsubishi 13.9 %
Schneider Electric 8.9 %
Omron 6.6 %
GE Fanuc 4.0 %
Moeller 2.3 %


Source


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## cookie

InControl, your list looks right to me. I see RA (A-B) mostly in the US, and Siemens everywhere else.


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## PLCMentor.com

I was told recently by our Rockwell Rep that AB has about 70% of the US market. You cant go wrong by learning that. I would argue about learning on the 1500 as you leave out the whole world of online programming, but it's a start. If you can find a little Micrologix 1100 you can use the freebie Rockwell software to play with it.

Russell


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## Mr.C

Take a RSLOGIX 5, 500, or 5000 class and you will be ok for most anything out there. If your planning on working around power plants then maybe look at some baileys training for DCS stuff its just like boolean algabra and logic circuits with hundreds of specific function blocks but knowing logic circuits will give you the foundation for this.


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## John Valdes

MDShunk said:


> It's probably fair to say that A-B is the most common, but after you get that under your belt, you're good to go. So many out there are just copies of each other. I learned on Texas Instruments, Fanuc and Modicon, mostly, and that laid the groundwork for pretty much everything since. Learn one or two, and you'll have the foundation of everything. Just little quirks from brand to brand, and some of the programming software is more featureful than others. That, for me, is what sucks the most. You get used to the "niceness" of some particular programming interface, and switch to another brand that's not as featureful and its like switching from Microsoft Word to Microsoft Notepad, if you get my meaning.


My first PLC was a Gould Modicon. Boy have times changed. WE did not have laptops in those days. The HIM was the newest and best thing around.
Memories.


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## MDShunk

John Valdes said:


> My first PLC was a Gould Modicon. Boy have times changed. WE did not have laptops in those days. The HIM was the newest and best thing around.
> Memories.


The first "laptop" used PLC's was for the original AB PLC1. It probably weighed 75 pounds, took 8" floppy disks, and had a small green screen. Worked wonderfully, though. You just had to roll around a typewriter table with you to get the thing set up. I actually appreciated those old PLC's, because if an I/O card had a bad port, you could take the thing apart on the bench, repair it, and have it back in service in no time flat.


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## MaintenanceGeek

I have had training on both AB and Siemens. 
AB is more user friendly. However Siemens is far more powerfull. 

Currently I am working on an article on understanding Siemens. Especialy S7 (step seven). Siemens has several languages:
1) Statent list
2) Graph
3) ladder
4) function block

if I was you I would look more into Siemens. It will give you more versatile options but will also be easy to catch onto AB. 
I work for a German company here in Ontario and all we use is Siemens. The trend as of late is showing Siemens is being used more and more in a variety of applications and facilities.


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## macmikeman

First plc I worked with was a Glockner(?) Moeller for an egg farm in maybe 1980 or so. It automated a feeding trolley, and carted the fresh laid eggs from chicken to package without any human touch intervention. It also integrated a camera/ light that gave go, no go decisions to cull out the bad eggs, but that part never did work worth a damn. Diskettes were the big floppy kind and IBM Computing machine and Wizard required. At that time I thought no way this was going to replace relays and contactors...


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## simmo

macmikeman said:


> First plc I worked with was a Glockner(?) Moeller for an egg farm in maybe 1980 or so. It automated a feeding trolley, and carted the fresh laid eggs from chicken to package without any human touch intervention. It also integrated a camera/ light that gave go, no go decisions to cull out the bad eggs, but that part never did work worth a damn. Diskettes were the big floppy kind and IBM Computing machine and Wizard required. At that time I thought no way this was going to replace relays and contactors...


 
I think you would find that Klockner Moeller is the name.
German industrial control at it's best. This stuff was first used in Injection Molding and Blow-molding machinery as far back as the early 70's.


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## IMM_Doctor

*Depends on your location*



mg42 said:


> I take evening class in automation in college and they only have the allen bradley kind. I'm pretty sure it's the micrologix 1500 series.
> 
> What's the commonly models and brands used in the industry? I know they are millions of combinations but what kind have you seen the most? I'm thinking of buying a used model on ebay to play with it at home. What about a Omron?
> 
> Thank
> Mat


There is no doubt that AB traditionally dominated the industrial arena related to automotive, steel, and related.

Siemens was traditionally European.

Omron was Pacific-Rim.

All lines are blurred now. We are global. I program primarily in AB, but switch gears frequently, to meet customer needs.


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## MDShunk

IMM_Doctor said:


> All lines are blurred now. We are global. I program primarily in AB, but switch gears frequently, to meet customer needs.


Man, you got that right. I like OMRON the most, but I have the most exposure to A-B. More and more, lately, they're all pretty close to the same. When I have to choose, based on cost alone, I pick IDEC. When cost is not an option, I pick A-B. When I'm somewhere in the middle, I pick OMRON. Truth be told, I think that OMRON has the most comprehensive line of PLC's, counters, sensors, encoders, etc. If I was ever called upon to build an entire machine, it would all be OMRON. One fault they have it that they don't really do drives and servo's. FWIW, I like Oriental Motors Vexta drives for steppers and servos, but I'll do A-B if you insist. Oriental Motors is Korean, I believe, but the performance and price point can't be beat.


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## IMM_Doctor

*Try these on for size..*

Here is a PLC/IO/HMI all rolled into one for a great price...

Horner XLT

http://www.heapg.com/

Again, we use AB PLC/SLC/PAC 95% of the time, but when we have some small scale stand-alone automation, and the customer has a tight purse, then, we will do anything to get them to the finish line, ON-BUDGET.

I took one of these home on a Thursday, and had it figured out by Staurday, including ASCII reads from a Bar code Scanner, and ASCII writes to a printer. If you get into a "jackpot" and can't figure it out, just sit on your vendor to help. They are eager to help to get a little of the PLC market-share.

4-Jobs sold and indtalled by the following Wednesday.


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