Five Signs Your Industrial Logic Circuit Board (PLC, VSD, Power Supply, etc) Has Gone Bad
I recently had coffee with a client who mentioned he had a problem with a new welding robot. Recently it needed two or three attempts to initialize before it was ready but that morning, it took five attempts. The HMI kept reporting a different ‘random’ computer error.
Familiar with this type of fault, I suggested it’s an electronic issue which we need to look at. As expected, we discovered aging faults on many circuit boards. After we refurbished the electronics, the robot initialized immediately. My client was amazed and wanted to know how I knew.
From our experience, we know the five basic signs that your industrial logic circuit board (PLC, power supply, VSD, etc.) is going bad.
- Random Error Codes or warning beeps.
- Power indicators are slow to glow, flickering, or don’t come.
- Random data errors on HMIs, counters, printouts, etc.
- Random booting issues, the electronics appear to possess little gremlins.
- A smoldering electronic smell.
So what should you do if you suspect a logic board is failing? Sometimes a replacement electronic board might be an option but more often than not, you may have to modify the board or machine to make it fit, or there may be other configuration issues. It is usually far simpler and safer to have the original boards refurbished.
If you wish to discuss further, contact us at rc@rom-control.com.au or send us a message at https://www.rom-control.com.au/contact-us/ to discuss.
