New from IDEC Izumi, the Pentra PLC range includes 12 CPU modules that are compatible with the company's current MicroSmart input/output modules and are the same physical size as the present CPUs. More than double the memory size, up to 275 times faster processing speed and the capability for floating point maths means the Idec Pentra PLC can handle most complex tasks that are thrown at it. The CPU has high speed counter inputs counting at a maximum frequency of 100kHz with 32bit word comparisons and PID with an advanced auto tune feature are other improved functions. Master and slave expansion modules have been introduced enabling up to a maximum of 512 I/Os to be connected via an expansion cable if necessary.

 

This means the IDEC Pentra PLC can be accommodated in narrow width cabinets as the master/slave units can be situated anywhere in the I/O range. Network capability has not been ignored either: Ethernet connectivity is possible via the new web server, up to two AS-I network modules can be addressed and the Idec Izumi Pentra has the ability to operate as a Modbus master or slave. The upgraded programming software, WindLDR V5.0, gives the user the options of online editing and runtime program downloading which means the Pentra does not have to stop its scan while programming modifications are undertaken. If the user wants to develop a program and the PLC is not available for testing, then program simulation can be run directly on the PC.

A solution always begins with a need. In this case, the engineer of a company who had not previously been an ABB Low-Voltage Controls customer was in the midst of a new design update for an induction machine. He was requesting a quotation for a Tmax main circuit breaker with a cable operated flange handle mechanism, a design solution similar to that which his company had been using for years. ABB provided a 70% savings in cost, greater competitiveness and higher profits. ABB's Business Development Management Team understood that to just offer the customer the same solution that he had used in the past might suffice to solve the problem, but greater cost savings Value-Added Solutions were possible. 

Not wanting to disappoint the customer, ABB gave them a quote for the requested solution, as well as an interesting alternative solution: an ABB Tmax molded case breaker with a through-the-door handle mechanism. Not only did the ABB alternative save money on the ABB provided components, it also allowed for savings on the panel, by enabling the engineer to use a different, smaller and less expensive panel. The customer really liked the cost savings and the extra thought ABB had given to his needs. He understood that ABB wanted to solve his problem, not just sell a product. The customer was able to achieve an overall savings of 70% over his previous design. He made his company more competitive and more profitable. By offering solutions, ABB gained a satisfied, long-term customer, while the end-user gained a design partner he could count on. The new ABB TMAX Circuit Breakers series has a hologram on the front, obtained using special anti-imitation techniques, which guarantees the quality and that the circuit breaker is an original ABB product.