This walkthrough is a complete conveyor automation project integrating Delta hardware end-to-end: PLC, HMI panel, and SCADA software. By the end, you'll have a working system that detects, counts, and tracks objects in real time.
The Plant Layout
- Belt conveyor driven by a 0.75 kW AC motor (controlled via Delta VFD)
- Photoelectric sensor at the entry to detect parts
- Reject pneumatic cylinder controlled by a solenoid valve
- HMI panel mounted on the operator panel
- SCADA software on the supervisor PC
1. PLC Logic (PLC in PLC software)
Three program blocks: Conveyor Control, Part Counter, and Reject Logic. The part counter uses a high-speed counter to handle > 600 parts/minute throughput.
2. HMI Pages (HMI software)
- Home: Start/Stop, Speed setpoint, Part counter
- Diagnostics: Sensor states, I/O snapshots, motor faults
- Alarms: Active + history, with acknowledgment
3. SCADA Integration (SCADA software)
SCADA software polls the PLC over Modbus TCP, reading the part counter, alarm status, and motor current. The dashboard shows live throughput, daily production totals, and trends over the last shift.
💡 Production-Ready TouchAdd an email alert from SCADA software if the conveyor stops unexpectedly for more than 30 seconds during a shift. Operators love this — supervisors love it more.
4. Communication Architecture
PLC ⟷ HMI: RS-485 Modbus RTU (9600 baud)
PLC ⟷ SCADA: Ethernet Modbus TCP (port 502)
HMI ⟷ SCADA: Optional — SCADA software can also act as the HMI's data source via its OPC server.
5. What You've Built
A complete, production-grade conveyor automation system using only Delta components — under ₹1.5 lakh in hardware. The same blueprint scales to packaging lines, sorting systems, and process batching.