DMC was asked to rewrite code from a similar machine that was created in the Allen Bradley PLC programming environment. The customer had specified the use of a Siemens S7-300 PLC, and required the help of an integrator intimate with both the original and new controllers. The main concerns for the customer were reliability, passing the production speed specifications, and keeping integration costs low.
In order to accomplish these goals, DMC used a hybrid approach to the program creation process. Where applicable, DMC utilized existing codebase from the customer’s previous projects. This was useful to both keep integration costs low as well as leverage code already proven out in prior commissionings. Where this codebase failed to meet specifications, DMC either re-wrote portions from scratch or modified existing code. When re-writing code, DMC maintained the existing programming styles in order to make any future programming upgrades in the future “seamless” regardless of who programmed it. This strategy allowed DMC to finish the project on budget with all of the customer’s requirements met.