Higher National Diploma in Engineering

Assessment Brief
Student Name/ID Number

Unit Number and Title U15: Automation, Robotics and Unit code: K/615/1489
Programmable Logic Controllers
(PLCs)

Academic Year 2021 - 2022

Unit Assessor Dr. Tran Vi Do

Assignment Title The application of PLCs and Robotics in automation systems

Issue Date September 27, 2021

Submission Date November 30, 2021

Formative Date: Summative Date:

IV Name & Date Prof. Dr. Truong Dinh Nhon – 21 September 2021

Formative Feedback

Assessor Signature: Date:

Summative Feedback

GRADE (Please tick ) Referral Pass Merit Distinction

First Attempt

Rework

Assessor Signature: Date:

Student Declaration
I certify that the assignment submission is entirely my own work and I fully understand the
consequences of plagiarism. I understand that making a false declaration is a form of malpractice.
Student signature: Date:

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Describe the design and operational characteristics of a PLC system

LO2 Design a simple PLC program by considering PLC information, programming and
communication techniques
LO3 Describe the key elements of industrial robots and be able to program them with
straightforward commands to perform a given task
LO4 Investigate the design and safe operation of a robot within an industrial application

Assignment Brief and Guidance

Scenario 1:
You work as an automation engineer for a company which provides automation solutions for
industry and have been asked to meet with a potential customer.
You are asked to demonstrate your knowledge and skills with PLC programming and design
convince the customer to use the service from your company.

Task 1: The design and operational characteristics of a PLC system

1.1. Suppose that your customer wants to upgrade his system. The system consists of 2 normal
close push buttons, 2 normal open push button, 4 AC asynchronous three-phase motors with
ON/OFF modes.
The system needs to detect carton boxes in 2 places, detect if the carton boxes contain liquid inside
at 1 place. It also needs to reject the empty carton boxes with a pneumatic cylinder.
The system may be expanded both in term of number of input and output devices as well as the
networking requirement.
Your tasks are:
 Persuade the customer to use PLC.
 Advise what types of sensors, actuators and PLC brand the customers should invest.
 Advise the customer to use a particular PLC brand
You shall prepare a PPT to the executive of the company.
Hints:
o Start with introduction to PLCs and its advantages over relays system
o Briefly discuss the PLC architectures and how a PLC operates.
o Demonstrate types of PLC (single box, modular or rack-mounted systems) and their capacity
in terms of maximum number of inputs and outputs, speed, special functions.
o Present the information about the sensors and actuators that the customers may use. This
should include the construction, operational principles, wiring, and application of the devices.
Give advice on which particular devices should be used for the system.
o Advise a particular PLC brand and what modules this customer should use.
o List types of programming languages, indicate which programming language should be use.
o Illustrate at least an example of how to use a specific PLC for a specific example which
contains pushbuttons, sensors with NPN outputs and PNP outputs, 24VDC relays, 220VAC
 contactors, analogue sensors …
o The number of your slides should not be more than 35. Your creativeness in PPT
presentation is welcomed and highly valued.

1.2. Communication standards

Make comparison of typical protocols used in signal communication and where they are used in PLC
systems.
Evaluate the networking methods and standards that can be used in PLC network.
Analyse the types of communication links that your PLC brand offers with relevant to industry
standard and at least an example where PLC network is needed (twisted pair; coaxial; fibre-optic;
networks).

Task 2: PLC programming

2.1. Your programming exercises must include but are not limited to: starting and stopping a
motor, forwarding and reversing direction of rotation of a 3 phase asynchronous motor, traffic
light control, start and stop 2 motors in a timing sequence, conveyor control with sensors to
detect products with counter applications.
You should have completed all the above exercises in the lab using PLC trainer kit during your lab.
For each lab, you should:
- Describe what the system has and how the system operates.
- List the input and output devices
- Produce a wiring diagram to the PLC and its power circuit
- Produce a table of tags, input and output addresses
- Produce the PLC program
- Show your debugging and testing processes

2.2. Choose another PLC brand and repeat Task 2.1 for at least two labs.

2.3. While doing your lab exercises you have used testing and debugging techniques. Discuss
methods of testing and debugging your programmes and explain the usefulness of these
methods.

2.4. You are asked to design a garage door for a house using PLC.
Your tasks are to:
1. Describe how your garage works?
2. List all the input and output devices and its brief function
3. Choose a suitable PLC, input/output modules for this system. Show main CPU and module
specifications.
4. Produce a list of tags and labels for all the inputs and outputs.
5. Produce a state diagram style program. The garage door needs to stop for 5 seconds before
it reverses its direction.
 6. Produce a circuit diagram for the hardwired control circuit.
7. Produce a ladder logic diagram for the control circuit.
8. Demonstrate the system working.

Scenario 2:
Your customer need to upgrade his automation system using industrial robot. The manufacturing
process require some specific tasks such as assembly, pick and place for packaging and labelling,
palletizing, product inspection, and testing.

Task 3: Industrial robot: key elements and programming

3.1. You are about to introduce to your customer the main robot element. You are asked to
prepare a report to the executive of the company.
Your report must include but are not limited to:
o Types of robots
o Mobile robotics
o Tools and end effectors
o Programming methods
o Robot manipulators (kinematics, design, dynamics and control, vision systems, user
interfaces)

3.2. Suppose that your customer wants to upgrade the packaging process using an industrial
robot. You are asked to prepare a demo of the pick and place task using a particular manipulator
robot.

Task 4: Design and safe operation of industrial robot

Relate to the robot programming in Task 3.2, you have to make a safety guidance for the worker
who work directly with the robot.
Hints:
o Start with the hazards posed by robots or robotics systems.
o Present general guidelines in reducing or eliminating the hazards of working with robot.
o A step-by-step guidance of working flow.
o Your creativeness in illustration is welcomed and highly valued.

*Please access HN Global for additional resources support and reading for this unit. For further guidance and support on
report writing please refer to the Study Skills Unit on HN Global www.highernationals.com
 Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass Merit Distinction

LO1 Describe the design and operational characteristics of a PLC

system

P1 Describe the key M1 Explain the different types of D1 Analyse the internal
differences of PLC PLC programming languages architecture of a typical PLC
construction styles and their available to determine its operational
typical applications applications
P2 Determine the types of
PLC input and output devices
available
P3 Describe the different
types of communication links
used with PLCs

LO2 Design a simple PLC program by considering PLC information, D2 Produce all elements of a
programming and communication techniques PLC program for a given
industrial task and analyse its
P4 Design and describe the M2 Examine the methods used for performance
design elements that have to testing and debugging the hardware
be considered in the and software
preparation of a PLC
programme program
P5 Explain how
communication connections
are correctly used with the
PLC

LO3 Describe the key elements of industrial robots and be able to D3 Design and produce a
program them with straightforward commands to perform a given robot program for a given
task industrial task

P6 Describe the types of M3 Investigate a given industrial

industrial robots and their robotic system and make
uses in industry recommendations for improvement
P7 Describe the types of
robot end effectors available
and their applications

LO4 Investigate the design and safe operation of a robot within an D4 Design a safe working
industrial application plan for an industrial robotic
cell in a given production
P8 Investigate the safety M4 Analyse how the systems in process to include a full risk
systems used within an place ensure safe operation of a assessment
industrial robotic cell given industrial robotic cell