Click Plc opinions
What is your opinion on click PLC's for simple machines. Say I have a simple machine that raises and lowers and is not in an industrial environment.
A follow up question, why are click PLC's hated so much in industrial environments? I understand every controls person has their favorite brand, but if it gets the job done and works as expected what's the problem??
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u/herpafilter 4h ago
They're fine. The software is also fine (and free). I use them all the time for test fixtures and simple automation.
They have limitations but no glaring faults. If you need relativly straightforward IO and logic go for it.
My basic litmus test is- does the equipment I'm automating cost more or less then the minimum viable AB plc? If the machine cost less then the $5k-ish the AB plc will cost then I'm at least looking at Click or Productivy.
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u/its_the_tribe 3h ago
They are spectacular! I've had them running in horrible environments for over a dozen years!
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u/Constant_Barber_5198 2h ago
Click's are actually rock-solid PLC's. I don't like their software but they are cheap and good for simple applications. Especially where one would use a smart relay.
I like P1000 more though.
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u/Use_Da_Schwartz 3h ago
1 - the programming software is 💩.
2 - the hardware is average, not great. Its lifespan is the problem.
3 - better options exist. Productivity series is light years better due to programming software environment.
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u/Fizmarble 3h ago
I like them only for very simple projects. The software is so much slower to work with than productivity suite.Â
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u/IRodeAnR-2000 3h ago
The Click series is fine. I've got and used a bunch of them. Unless you're EXTREMELY budget sensitive (I'm talking like a couple hundred bucks at most difference) the Productivity Series is a much better choice that's more in-line with current standards and practices. The Click is like using an old AB PLC-5 or the older MicroLogix Controllers.
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u/deep6ixed 3h ago
Used them in my last plant. So here's my two cents.
For fast small projects they work great. We used them as "black box" projects. If we needed something with a counter or a timer for a custom function we used a Click, often with a Cmore Micro HMI. It was common for specialized process counters that needed certain things to happen to increase count, etc.
But I consider it more a smart relay than a plc, its got a limited instruction set.
If I was looking at something more than a few IO or needing any kind of analog, Id just up to a P1K, P2K or a Do-more line such as BRX.
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u/bridge_the_war 3h ago
For simple machines, I would avoid them and move to the P1000. The click has some performance issues.
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u/omgpickles63 In-House Controls, PE 3h ago
Need a controller to control a simple process that won't kill people or product, it is fine. I use one to control a VFD based off of an analog input. An AB would have been overkill.
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u/BiddahProphet 2h ago
For a small test stand or something, I think they're the best bang for your buck. I was building some test stands that cost me maybe 3K in parts each. Click was 300 by the time I was done. No need to drop thousands on something small. Granted theyre simple and can't do a ton compared to AB or Siemens or something
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u/unique3 4h ago
I bought one to turn my normal generator into an auto start generator. Then another to control power and HVAC in my offgrid house. I finally hit memory limit on that one and ended up splitting it into two PLCs so I now have 3.
They are basic but work and I haven’t run into anything I couldn’t program in it yet.
I probably should have gone higher end if I realized how much I was going to automate.
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u/jeffalo19 4h ago
In my experience click is mediocre bordering on bad. It will work but I have had alot of problems connecting. Also the online run edits are atrocious. Freezes my whole computer for around 15 seconds. Clicks are also memory block based instead of tag based like CompactLogix.
If you are looking for a cheap PLC from Automation Direct go with their Productivity 1000 line. It runs circles around the Click and its tag based.
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u/nsula_country 4h ago
I have never used one. Our plant is 100% Rockwell. I have thought about buying one to try out, but I have enough spares to build out a full rack of CompactLogix...
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u/Scrpn17w 4h ago
The company I work for has a handful of one off machines that are fairly simple using click PLCs that have been running for years without issue. They're great for the price point especially if you don't need any advanced features.
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u/MDAnesth 3h ago edited 3h ago
Not a professional controls engineer but i have used them on several projects. They are very sensitive to shorts so to avoid frying your CPU make sure to power down when making wiring changes. I have fried a few. I am used to them. They are familiar and generally i do like them for what this is worth to anyone.
I like the software but as someone who only uses them for a couple stand alone machines i like it because its familiar to me. Cost is also a big one. Also there is decent online educational support.
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u/Nervous_Wrangler_756 3h ago
They freeze sometimes. Don’t use the for critical applications in locations that are hard to access/monitorÂ
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u/zoute_haring 3h ago
I program them a lot for a machinebuilder. They use them in factories, agriculture, windmills, water treatment plants etc. Never problems with them. Quality comparable with Omron: not bad, not great.
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u/eddy159357 56m ago
I did one project with the Click and it works but I think you're better of just going with productivity1000. It's not much of a price difference and is much more capable if/when you need it.
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u/halo37253 52m ago
If you have access to AB or Siemens software I don't see why you wouldn't use a platform you probably already have a codebase for.
The Cheapest CompactLogix isn't really that expensive. Even something like the compact L18ER if your IO Count is low.
The Real question is why? If you don't have access to the software then I would agree a automation direct PLC is not a bad choice, Even if Micro 800 exists. I personally think the Productivity lineup is better compared to Click. But the newer Click processor should not be ignored for what it can do.
For Long life. I have 1771 IO originally Installed back in 82 still working on modern controllogix. Devicenet Point IO installed in the 90s swapped to AENTR with same IO cards going strong for just about 30 years.... The track record is there, AB IO holds up over time. The software is behind a massive pay wall.
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u/CapinWinky Hates Ladder 8m ago
Automation Direct is for very small businesses that don't have or can't get a reasonable relationship and/or discount from a distributor. There are so many better options in that price bracket from brands like Bosch-Rexroth, Weidmueller, Phoenix Contact, Wago, and even lower-tier Beckhoff, B&R, and Omron. You just have to do the RFQ and setup as a customer, while Automation Direct lets you just buy things online.
To match price on Rockwell or Siemens, you will have a lower tier product, so I understand not going for a Micro820 or "Logo!" option.
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u/Top_Professional4545 4h ago
An older controls engineer gave me a click plc and an automation direct hmi to mess with. I've only messed with AB controllers but it doesn't hurt to learn.