Volume 1, Issue 21

Entertron Means Business

In this challenging global economic environment, there will be companies that struggle and companies that will grow substantially. In either case, they will still need an industry proven, time tested control solution that not only does what it says it will do, but also, provides them the biggest bang for their buck, or euro, or pound, or peso, or rupee, or yuan, or yen or new shekel...etc... I think you get the idea.

Whatever country you are in and whatever currency you spend, regardless, you will need a controller that goes beyond all industry standards. Whether you are using an off the shelf PLC or a custom designed board level controller, Entertron has a solution.

Are you adding additional components to your panel because your current controller can't handle the load?

Have you ever evaluated your current design to determine where you can eliminate costs, both hard and soft?

By eliminating additional components, you will also reduce your labor cost associated with the manufacturing of your product. I recently heard that the labor rate for General Motors to manufacturer a car is $78.00 / hour. In stark contrast, it costs the Japanese auto makers $48.00 / hour. That is a $30.00 / hour (62.5%) cost disadvantage for General Motors.

How can you reduce your manufacturing cost per hour and be competitive with the rest of the world? We have a few suggestions that involve one of Entertron's controllers.

The Smart-PAK PLUS

Configured as 8 DC inputs / 6 relay outputs, with 2 serial ports, ModBus and ASCII, this controller includes the ability to drive 7 amp devices through its relay outputs. Other controllers typically offer 2 amps or less. The Smart-PAK PLUS may cost a little more then some of its rivals, but it will save you in additional components and additional labor costs.

Need analog?

No problem, the Smart-PAK PLUS can be manufactured with many different analog configurations.

Need additional digital I/O?

No problem, The Smart-PAK PLUS can add an additional I/O board of 8/6 with the additional capability of up to 2 analog I/O.

Need 12 VDC?

No problem, you can order the Smart-PAK PLUS for 12 VDC applications

Getting Started: We offer a brief comparison of one of our competitors and what they offer

That is all well and good, but what about production? What can Entertron do in quantity?

Keeping in mind that there is a 5 amp difference in the output capabilities between the two products, any additional components required in your application when using the AD product (or just about any other PLC manufacturer) will only add to the cost.

That is 3.5 times the current driving capacity of the DL-05!!!

Add to the above our long and generous 5 year warranty and you don't have to worry about the replacement cost of the controller for half a decade.

SK1600-RIC

Configured as 16 DC inputs / 12 relay outputs, with 2 serial ports, ModBus and ASCII, this controller includes the ability to drive 8 amp devices through its relay outputs. Other controllers typically offer 2 amps or less. The SK1600-RIC may cost a little more then some of its rivals, but it will save you in additional components and additional labor costs.

Need Form C relays?

No Problem. There are a total of 8 form C relays and 4 form A relays on a single board of the SK1600-RIC.

Need analog?

No problem, the SK1600-RIC can be manufactured with up to 4 analog channels.

Need additional digital I/O?

No problem, The SK1600-RIC can add an additional I/O board of 16/12.

Need 12 VDC?

Need 24 VAC?

Need 120 VAC?

Need 240 VAC?

No problem, you can order the SK1600-RIC with any of the above power voltages and/or input voltages. Our power transformer for 120 VAC or 240 VAC includes that secondary for an onboard 12 VDC supply for the digital inputs.

Getting Started: We offer a brief comparison of one of our competitors and what they offer

That is all well and good, but what about production? What can Entertron do in quantity?

Keeping in mind that there is a 6 amp difference in the output capabilities between the two products, any additional components required in your application when using the AD product (or just about any other PLC manufacturer) will only add to the cost.

That is 4 times the current driving capacity of the DL-06!!!

Add to the above our long and generous 5 year warranty and you don't have to worry about the replacement cost of the controller for half a decade.

Elite-2000

Configured as 16 AC inputs / 16 AC triac outputs, with 2 serial ports, ModBus and ASCII, this controller includes the ability to drive 2 amp devices through its relay outputs. Other controllers typically offer 1 amps or less. The Elite-2000 may cost a little more then some of its rivals, but it will save you in additional components and additional labor costs.

Need NPN or PNP Outputs ?

No problem, the Elite-2000 can be manufactured with an NPN or PNP transistor output with the same current capabilities.

The robust design of the Elite-2000 allows for 8 - 10 amp current inrush and a standard 2 amp continuous rating. Add to that, individually replaceable fused outputs with transient noise suppression and you are eliminating hundreds of dollars from your panel in both components and labor costs.

Need analog?

No problem, the Elite-2000 can be manufactured with up to 16 analog channels. We can provide various signals in one design. No need for multiple modules with different analog signals.

Need additional digital I/O?

No problem, The Elite-2000 can add up to 3 additional I/O boards of 16/16. We can create various voltage configurations. No modules required.

Need 12 VDC?

Need 24 VDC?

Need 24 VAC?

Need 240 VAC?

No problem, you can order the Elite-2000 with any of the above power voltages and/or input voltages.

Getting Started: We offer a brief comparison of one of our competitors and what they offer

That is all well and good, but what about production? What can Entertron do in quantity?

Keeping in mind that there is a 1.5 amp difference and no output fusing built into the capabilities of the AD product, any additional components required in your application when using the AD product will only add to the cost. For fusing, add about $6.00 per output (component cost) + your labor cost. For additional current capacity start at $20.00 per solid state relay + labor.

That is 4 times the continuous current driving capacity of the DL-06!!!

The costs will add up. Why not consider a product that provides you better than PLC standards?

Add to the above our long and generous 7 year warranty and you don't have to worry about the replacement cost of the controller for over half a decade.

CLOSING NOTES

In these challenging times Entertron provides solutions that will not only benefit your company, but your customers as well. We have made thinking outside of the box possible.

We have chosen Automation Direct for our comparison in that they offer very competitive published pricing. Substitute any other PLC manufacturer of your choice into our comparisons below, and you will likely see your costs increase. In some cases you have recurring software costs. In other cases, you have expensive hardware. Regardless of your circumstances we may have something for you.

Feel free to send us your requirements.

Remember, any redesign of an existing product, will require an engineering investment that if done wisely will generate a future return in a reduced bill of material and improvements in productivity that will maximize capacity utilization. It comes back to this old saying...you have to spend money in order to make money. In this case you will be making money by not spending additional money that isn't required.

Eliminating unnecessary wiring will reduce your labor cost per panel, and thus enable your existing work force to be more productive...making your company more competitive.

If you have missed an issue of Entertron Intelligence, not to fear, you can view past issues on our web site.

Any general questions, not related to one of our subjects can be emailed to us at plcs@entertron.com and in the subject area type in "entertron intelligence question"

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