I have been asked here at work to help kick off bringing ignition to our factory. I have no experience with SCADA or Ignition. Where do I start? I contacted Inductive Automations sales team and they recommended an Integrator. So do I choose an integrator and they do all the work and we send them a large check? I’m trying to find any information that says follow A/B/C to get started with the project.
Any help would be appreciated. i am just trying to get a general direction to start in.
Thanks
Welcome!
Inductive University is where I would start, followed (paralleled) with downloading the trial, connecting to a spare PLC of the brand you use, connect to a DataBase, etc
Thanks~
So I have created my login to the university and watched some of the first tutorials. Have I not gone far enough? What I am seeing is how to use the software. Where does an integrator come into things?
An integrator would (should) know how to use the software already, so it’s really a matter of time, do you have time to learn it yourself?
I don’t believe so. They want it installed and running by January 1st on several pieces of equipment. I am hoping to stay on the project and learn as I go but that is a long term goal. We have an IT department. So they would manage the server portion. Does the Integrator wire the RTU’s to the PLC’s etc?
I do wiring (I am an integrator), not all do, some are code only… ask…
Thanks I’ll do that!
Contact your sales rep as well, talk through any questions or concerns you may have.
On top of IU and this forum, you can contact IA support, your sales rep or account executive, your sales manager, and your integrator program manager. These individuals should be linked under your integrator account.
Sorry, should have read closer, I thought you were an integrator.
I already spoke with sales at inductive. They recommended a integrator. I hate going to meetings unprepared so I am trying to get any and all information upfront prior to the meeting. I can find volumes on programming the software but I find very little else. So I am assuming you pick what outputs you want to monitor on your equipment. You wire the PLC’s into those outputs. Run that to the server which runs to the database/HMI etc? Then you have to “build” your system in the Ignition environment? Is that at least close to what I can expect?
Does your plant already have PLCs and any kind of HMI?
Also, what is the plant expecting to see and do in the HMI. I would have them sit down and write expectations and a brief scope.
Only installed currently in equipment by the equipment manufacturer. Our injection molding machines have PLC’s in them. We don’t currently do any aux monitoring with PLC or tie them in to things.
We semi got started on the scope and then we got side tracked on the equipment we wanted to monitor. I plan to circle back to that once I have a little better idea of how to get started. Should we just find an integrator that makes a package for us etc…
So you’ll need to network this equipment. What brands of PLC? If you just want to monitor a few IO points you could wire those back to another PLC or MQTT device. But, if you want things like cycle times, setpoints, etc., probably best to network and point ignition to them.
I sent you a message. Feel free to message me privately if you like.
How “complex” is your facility?
Integrators they recommend are people who have passed their requirements. So you know they are knowledgeable in Ignition and should be able to handle whatever you want.
Inductive university is great. But it might be rough trying to get it done, troubleshooting etc…
some wire , some don’t. where i live it depends on if you are a licensed electrician or not.
Spend a bit of time on the first few modules in Inductive University. They cover some generic architectures and high-level stuff that would be helpful when you talk to integrators.
And don't be afraid to search these forums and ask more questions. We love getting new people on the Ignition train.
Thanks for all the answers. Apparently I was limited to a few responses yesterday as I had just signed up. The meeting with our Integrator made everything clear! We are in good shape! I’ll get back to inductive university now that I have a better idea of what to expect.
I was wondering if your injection molding machines have multiple mold fixtures, I have been searching for best practices on how to set up the production model to manage the Press, multiple interchangeable Molds, and track quality across the individual cavities when molds may be present in different Press equipment at different points of the day.
Doesn’t seem to be much info out there.