Axtel Inc. designs, programs, and builds custom versions of our Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to suit the specific requirements of our clients and their application. Our custom PLC controllers may be used to automate Factory Machines, Specialty End User Products, Intelligent Instrumentation, and LAB Equipment. The majority of our controllers are produced for turnkey usage by OEMs, while single custom machines are mostly built for LAB use.
Axtel Inc. manufactures these PLC Controllers and offers manufacturing licenses to qualified OEMs. Our turnkey PLC controllers are Drop-In units, ready to perform their assigned task.
Most Axtel PLCs come with an integrated Touch Screen, but for units that require more environmental protection we offer Membrane Overlays, or the combination of a LCD Screen, or a Touch Screen, with rugged IP67 switches.
The Axtel PLC & Touch Screen combo was designed to simplify the automation of production machines and/or intelligent instruments. Axtel PLCs perform particularly well when a small footprint, high processing speed, and complex mathematics are required. The Axtel PLC offers a maximum of flexibility; it can be expanded to handle a large number of sensors and actuators.
One of the outstanding features of Axtel PLCs is their ability to control large systems. In a large system we typically assign one PLC to act as a Master PLC and we make it drive multiple Slave PLCs. The physical distance between Master and Slave PLCs may be up to several hundred feet. Each of the Slave PLCs is typically surrounded by local sensors and actuators arranged as one intelligent node. This sort of arrangement reduces software complexity and the number of cables found in traditional systems.
Axtel PLCs are unique in the industry, because they were the first to come with built-in maintenance routines. These maintenance routines are specifically designed to aid during system maintenance and trouble shooting. With the help of these routines the user, or a service technician, may exercise individual Sensors and/or Actuators in either "Single Cycle" or "Jog" mode. Occasional mishaps, such as a collection of undesirable particles blocking a sensor, a stuck motor, or a clogged filter, can now be located through observation and without much training. Potentially this feature provides for a substantial reduction of repair costs and machine downtime.
