Adept PLC User Manual
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PLC Robot Programming: Familiar Programming, Reduced
Costs of Implementation and 21 CFR Part 11 Compliance
Introduction
Most manufacturers looking to remain competitive understand the advantages automation oers including
increased production rates, improved quality, and reduced product costs. e decision to automate however is
often approached with trepidation as the cost to implement just a single automated cell can seem a daunting
prospect. e cost of the robot alone may appear expensive but when you consider that much of the total cost
of deploying a robotic cell includes programming software, training, & maintenance, the evaluation can become
quite complex.
To meet this challenge, robotic equipment manufacturers are constantly exploring methods to not only reduce the
costs associated with implementation, but ways to simplify installation, programming, and subsequently lower the
total cost of ownership. e following looks at this cost of ownership issue, how end-users have traditionally been
tackling this issue, and new methods of simplifying programming and reducing the cost of ownership of a robotic
application by leveraging knowledge and hardware the end-user already maintains. Specically, the following
addresses the utilization of the end-user’s knowledge of programmable logic controls (PLC) or ladder logic to
program robotic cells.
An additional consideration for many manufacturers is the need to comply with FDA regulations such as 21 CFR
Part 11 which is a set of regulations that governs the way FDA regulated industries manage electronic records and
electronic signatures. Commonly known as Part 11, these regulations establish the criteria under which electronic
records and signatures can be considered equivalent to paper-based records and handwritten signatures. With
shorter product life-cycles increasing the risk of poor quality, standard methods of traceability are no longer
practical. Manufacturers need to electronically track when changes to software have been made in order to
demonstrate traceability within a process and ultimately overall accountability. e robotics industry, with its use
of proprietary controls platforms, has historically not permitted those required to adhere to these regulations to
realize the productivity gains associated with exible automation.
Cost of Ownership
Robot manufacturers oer proprietary software suites and controls platforms that deliver dierent and unique
installation and operational experiences for integrators and users. is means that in addition to the robot
purchase, robotic end-users incur additional costs to train their engineers on the proprietary programming
software and training operators to maintain & support these unique robotic solutions. e end-user must then
address where to obtain training, who will train them, and the scope and costs associated with training activities
such as travel, accommodations, and the time away from the competing obligations. is all aects the robotic
customer’s total cost of ownership and only marginally addresses ease of use.
YOUR INTELLIGENT ROBOTICS PARTNER
Historically the users of robots have relied on the robot manufacturer, an integrator, or third party consultant
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to set-up and train the workers. is support may not be local to the end-user and more importantly can be
challenging to orchestrate, delaying installation and adding extra costs. Once set-up and training is scheduled,
even a single robot installation & subsequent employee training sessions can take days.
PLC Robot Programming
Robot manufacturers studying their customer’s needs and understanding what knowledge support personnel
already possess have developed new methods to more easily deploy and program robots. Specically, new solutions
utilizing the end-user’s existing knowledge of Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) software have been met with
increased adoption. Originally developed for the automotive industry, PLCs have been used by many industries
for a wide variety of machines for nearly 30 years and are therefore familiar control interfaces in most production
and manufacturing settings.
“With the ePLC, the robot becomes another peripheral device rather than the basis of the machine that
everything else has to be built around. We, and many of our customer’s maintenance sta, already know how
to program PLC ladder logic,” said Scott Gerold, senior software specialist of NACS, Inc a leading automation
integrator. “Leveraging that knowledge to program a robot just makes sense. We save both time and money with
regards to training internal engineers. We are able to keep the machine interface and user experience consistent
which also saves time on the technical documentation and customer training as well.”
Robot manufacturers and integrators have developed several options to use the PLC to automate robotic cells
including oering emulation solutions, robot & new PLC hardware & software, and robot software that works
directly with the end-user’s existing equipment.
Robot plus new PLC Solution
One solution has evolved from partnerships between robotic manufacturers and PLC manufacturers. Working
together, these manufacturers oer packages whereby the end-user purchasing a robot from the robot
manufacturer then purchases their desired PLC from a PLC manufacturer. ese two components work together
to program the robot using familiar PLC Ladder Logic software. Additional components may also be required
such as servo ampliers and potentially some additional software education depending on how custom the PLC
is to the robot. While this solution does leverage the end-user’s knowledge, it does require separate purchases and
potentially additional training.
Emulation Solution
Another solution from robotic manufacturers has been the development of software that emulates PLC Ladder
Logic software. While emulating PLC software attempts to shorten the learning curve associated with robot
software, it still requires the end-user to install and learn new software in order to program the robot. is
solution usually requires end-users to purchase multiple licenses from multiple vendors.
Leveraging Existing Equipment
Another solution introduced over 5 years ago is a unique solution that allows end-users and integrators to take
ownership quickly by utilizing the end-user’s existing PLC when deploying a robot. Although the original
deployment of Adept Technology’s ePLC Connect software was designed to be centric to Allen Bradley’s PLC,
which makes up 70-80 percent of the US market, it has since been shown to integrate with Schneider Electric
(formerly Modicon) and Siemens’ PLC’s.
PLC Robot Programming: Familiar Programming, Reduced Costs of Implementation and 21 CFR Part 11 Compliance
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