Advantages of the PLC based system
To implement of a PLC based system compared with a system of manual control has had a number of benefits:
1. The PLC based system comprises more than reasonable its charge of installation.
2. The system is extremely less issue to human error than a system of manual. It is factual that the drivers of hilo can rarely do something out of the commonplace, for instance intended for the wrong mill, but practice has exposed that this does not occur more than two times a week. With a system of manual three additional communication lines have to be opened between the supervisor of cane yard and the controller of traffic, the clerk of weighbridge and the controller of traffic and between the drivers of hilo and the controller of traffic. This would be expected to guide to troubles.
3. The PLC based system is flexible while the program can be updated quite easily to integrate adaptations and new features.
4. The missed light recording options has helped hauliers by stressing lack in their arrangement, mainly at the change shift periods. Additionally by controlling on access to the system of weighbridge divides the cane yard effect postponements from delays because of too many vehicles in service or poor scheduling.
Disadvantages of the PLC based system
The PLC based system has a number of disadvantages:
1. The drivers of hilo in the area of weighbridge queue have to keep their idling of engines and their pressure up of brake in a light option anticipation.
2. It is not likely for the system to distinguish between burnt and unburnt cane. It means that the favoring old system of one tandem or the burnt cane has must be discarded.
The system now has some limitations even though these could be reduced by program changes or method changes the allocation of light sequence:
1. The hauliers with interconnects have a advantage of payload over standard trailers as the light ratio options in the sequence is presently based on loads number only, and is not weighted based on the payload differences.
2. If there is haulier with a small tonnage would occurrence huge delays if allocated a detailed light.
3. It should a vehicle progress to the wrong system tandem is ignorant of this and another load is not called even though it is requisite. This trouble could be programmed out with a routine of time delay.