Don't forget your backup
If you have a PLC controller in your machine, be sure to have the necessary backup software. Some vendors don't want to give it, because they don't see it as the customer's property. At Promation, we think differently. We believe that when you as a customer pay for programming, it is effectively yours and therefore you can also have the backup software.
Suppose you want to make adjustments in the control afterwards or there is a malfunction for which you need to consult the programming, you need that software. If you don't have that backup, you remain dependent on the machine builder. If he is not available at the time of the malfunction, you are at a standstill for an unnecessarily long time, because engaging another party is simply not possible.
Backup in specifications
Not surprisingly, many companies want to keep that know-how to themselves, of course. To make sure you still get your hands on the backup software at the end of the day, it's a good idea to include those requirements in the specifications as well. That specification book is the overview of all wishes, needs and technical aspects that the machine must meet upon delivery. It is a stick to avoid unnecessary discussions afterwards, when things don't work as they should or certain documentation is missing.
Important detail: make sure the software is password-free. If the software is protected with a password that only the machine builder knows, you are still nothing with it.
With a backup of all programmable devices, you're almost there. A digital backup of the schematics completes the picture. No, we don't mean pdf files, but a source file such as an e-plan file. If you ever change anything in the installation, you can keep the schematics digitally up-to-date and reprint them neatly. Without those backups you will end up with schematics where a lot of notes are added by hand afterwards. No man gets out of that, with all its consequences.
Backup hold
We'd like to offer you a handhold with some of the things you can ask for backup from your machine builder:
- PLC control
- Control screens
- Motor Controls
- Digital energy meters
- Robots
- Safety PLCs
- Schedules:
- Electric
- Pneumatic
- Hydraulic
- Mechanical
Our passion is to build machines and robots that make your business profitable. We do this creatively and with an eye for every detail, such as extensive documentation and backup software. So you focus on your core business.
