0:03
Master the clock, orchestrating
0:05
automation with click PLC timers. The
0:07
hum of the conveyor belt was off. Not
0:10
entirely stopped, but hesitant. Mark, a
0:12
veteran automation engineer, frowned as
0:14
his eyes scanned the control panel of
0:16
the small packaging plant. Another
0:18
bottleneck, he muttered, running a hand
0:20
through his already disheveled hair. The
0:22
current system, a patchwork of older
0:24
relays and basic logic, was notorious
0:26
for its timing issues. Packages would
0:29
sometimes pile up and others would fly
0:30
off the line too fast. It was chaos.
0:32
He'd recently convinced the plant
0:34
manager to invest in a Click PLC. A
0:36
compact, powerful little brain for their
0:38
operation. Now it was up to Mark to tame
0:40
the beast of timing. He knew his secret
0:42
weapon would be the Click PLC's timers.
0:45
Timers are fundamental to automation,
0:47
allowing you to control sequences,
0:49
introduce delays, and manage event
0:51
durations. If you're working with a
0:54
Click PLC, understanding how to
0:56
implement timers effectively will unlock
0:58
a whole new level of control for your
1:00
projects. We'll delve into the various
1:02
types of timers available in the Click
1:04
PLC and walk through practical examples
1:06
of how to utilize them. Let's see how
1:08
Mark does it. Detailed information on
1:10
this video can be found at
1:11
accccclautomation.ca.
1:14
A link has been provided below. If you
1:16
have not watched the other videos, the
1:18
link below will start you at video one.
1:20
There will be links to the rest of the
1:22
videos as well. The three musketeers of
1:28
Mark remembered his old instructor's
1:29
analogy. Think of timers as the three
1:31
musketeers of your PLC. On delay, off
1:34
delay, and retention. We can build
1:37
anything with these three key aspects of
1:38
a timer. On delay. This is our
1:41
gatekeeper, he thought. It waits
1:43
patiently before opening the gate.
1:45
Perfect for when he needed a delay
1:47
before something happened. Like ensuring
1:48
a box was perfectly centered before the
1:50
robotic arm descended. Off delay. And
1:53
this one, he mused, is like a stubborn
1:55
guest. It lingers even after you've
1:57
asked it to leave. Ideal for keeping
1:59
something running for a short time after
2:01
the main signal disappears, such as a
2:03
cooling fan. Retentive. Ah, the
2:06
persistent one. He smiled. It remembers
2:09
where it left off even if you interrupt
2:11
it. Retention could be used for both the
2:13
on and off delay timers. This was
2:15
crucial for their batch processing where
2:17
the system might pause but needed to
2:19
resume counting from exactly where it
2:21
stopped. He also knew the critical
2:23
pieces of information for every timer,
2:26
the input ion to start it. This is the
2:28
condition of the rung to start and stop
2:30
the timer. The set point SP or preset
2:33
time PT indicates the duration for which
2:36
it should count. Base rates can vary
2:37
from milliseconds to days. The current
2:40
value CV or accumulated time ACC shows
2:43
its progress. This shows how much time
2:45
has expired. Finally, most importantly,
2:48
the timer bit or timer done bit TD, the
2:51
signal that told the rest of the PLC,
2:53
"I'm done waiting." This is just an on
2:57
Building the rhythm, Mark's first timer
3:01
Mark fired up the click PLC programming
3:03
software, a familiar hum from his
3:05
workstation. There is only one timer
3:07
instruction in the click PLC instruction
3:09
set. However, it can be configured to
3:11
run in various ways. He started with the
3:14
most pressing issue, the conveyor. It
3:16
needed to pause for exactly 3 seconds to
3:19
allow a sensor to register a product
3:21
before the next section started. He
3:23
dragged a timer instruction onto the
3:25
ladder logic rung. This will be set for
3:27
an ondelay timer. He labeled it T1 and
3:29
remembering the click's millisecond
3:31
default time base entered 3000 for a
3:33
3-second delay. The input would be the
3:36
sensor detecting a product at the end of
3:38
the first conveyor section which we will
3:42
On a new rung, he used T1 timer one done
3:45
to enable the next section of the
3:46
conveyor which outputs Y1.
4:01
He uploaded the program.
4:07
The conveyor ran. X201 detected a
4:09
product and for a smooth 3 seconds, the
4:11
next section held. Then click 101
4:14
engaged and the product moves on. No
4:16
more pileups. A small victory, but a
4:36
The fan that lingered an off delay
4:40
Next, the cooling fan for a heat sealing
4:43
machine. It needed to run for 10 seconds
4:45
after the machine itself turned off to
4:47
dissipate residual heat. This was a job
4:50
for an off delay timer. He used the
4:52
machine's input signal X202 as the input
5:00
He set the preset to 10,000 for 10
5:03
seconds. The magic of the tof was that
5:04
its output would stay on for the preset
5:06
time after X2 went off.
5:18
He connected this directly to the fan
5:40
Machine on, fan on. The machine shut off
5:42
and the fan worred for precisely 10 more
5:44
seconds before shutting down gracefully.
6:08
The unstoppable pump, a retentive
6:12
The trickiest part was the batch mixing.
6:14
They needed to pump a precise amount of
6:15
liquid with a total pump run time of 15
6:17
seconds. But sometimes due to other
6:20
processes, the pump would have to pause
6:22
midcycle. With a regular timer, the
6:23
count would reset. Not good. This was a
6:26
job for the retentive on delay timer.
6:28
Mark assigned T3 a preset of 15,5
6:31
seconds and checked the current value
6:33
will be retained option. The pump's
6:35
start signal X203 would be the input.
6:37
But what if they needed to start a fresh
6:39
batch? The retentive on delay timer
6:41
would remember its old count. he needed
6:44
a way to reset it. A simple reset button
6:46
X204 linked to the reset of the timer
6:48
instruction would do the trick. The
6:51
click PLC programming software is
6:53
intuitive enough to know that if the
6:55
timer's current value is retained, a
6:57
reset input is required.
7:00
If you are enjoying this video, please
7:01
give it a thumbs up. Subscribe to our
7:03
channel to receive all of the latest
7:05
information. Do not forget to hit the
7:07
bell beside your subscription to receive
7:12
In this case, Mark wanted the pump to be
7:14
on when X23 is on and accumulate for 15
7:16
seconds. On the output rung, he used the
7:19
X203 input and not the T3. And just like
7:22
the on delay timer, the T3 bit would
7:24
turn on, which would stop the actual
7:28
This indicates that the time has
7:52
He simulated it. The pump started.
8:11
and then resumed its operation. Finally,
8:14
after exactly 15 seconds of cumulative
8:16
runtime, Y103 activated, indicating that
8:18
the batch was complete.
8:34
A press of the reset button cleared it
8:36
all, ready for the next cycle. Mark
8:37
leaned back, a satisfied grin spreading
8:40
across his face. The once erratic
8:42
production line now moved with a new
8:44
rhythm, orchestrated by the precise
8:45
timing of the click PLC. The plant
8:48
manager walked by, noticing the smooth
8:50
operation. He gave Mark a nod and a
8:52
thumbs up. Mark thought about timers for
8:54
longer or more complex sequences. We can
8:57
just cascade timers. The timer done bit
8:59
can trigger another timer. Cascade
9:01
timers are something to think about for
9:03
the future. It's about mastering the
9:05
clock, Mark thought, watching the
9:07
perfectly spaced packages move down the
9:09
line. With the Click PLC and its
9:11
versatile timers, he hadn't just fixed a
9:13
problem, he'd brought harmony to the
9:14
entire process. Are there any timing
9:17
challenges in your automation projects
9:19
that require special attention? Do you
9:21
have any specific timer applications
9:23
you're working on? Please share them in
9:26
the comments below. Learn more about how
9:28
to design, build, and program your own
9:29
click PLC system with confidence by
9:32
clicking here. Click here to see how you
9:34
can learn PLC programming using the
9:36
machine simulator by Nertk. This will
9:38
provide machine scenes that you can
