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Experimenting with Industrial Automation

pchan

Table of contents

industrial automation competition header

In partnership with Schneider Electric, we present Experimenting with Industrial Automation.

Industrial Automation uses electrical, electronic, and mechanical components to automate industrial processes and machinery. This spans painting, cutting, drilling, material handling, packaging, testing, etc.

In this competition, participants will receive an extensive kit of components from Schneider Electric. They will use the kit to explore, showcase, and experiment with components in industrial automation systems.

Who Can Join?

Any element14 member. Click here to read the FAQs. You need to submit an application entry form by the enrollment due date (see Timeline Table). If you are not an element14 Community member, please join here.

The Prizes

Prize Prize Category

Grand Prize Winner

Grand Prize

Approximate Value $1220 USD*

  • Multicomp Pro MP750290 Waveform Generator
  • Multicomp Pro MP740131 Rework Station

Runner Up

Runner Up

Approximate Value $582 USD*

  • Multicomp Pro MP730027 Bench Top Digital Multimeter or MP730027 Bench Digital Multimeter
  • Philips Hue 60W A19 Smart LED Starter Kit

Finisher Prize**

Finisher prize
To be a finisher you must complete a final project blog that details the testing you have performed.

Approximate Value $49 USD*

Echo Dot - 5th Gen, 2022)
*Or local equivalent
**Grand Prize and Runner Up winners do not earn the finisher prize.

The Kit

A maximum of 5 FREE kits will be offered depending on qualified applicants. To be eligible to receive a kit, you must submit an application by the enrollment deadline (See to Timeline Table).

Product Description Buy Kit
ABLM1A24025 Power Supply Buy Now
TM251MESE PLC Buy Now
HMIST6200 HMI Buy Now
ZBRA1 Signal repeater Buy Now
ZBRA2 External antenna Buy Now
ZBRT2 Transmitter Module Buy Now
ZB5AZ009 Collar Buy Now
ZB5AK1233 Wireless Selector Switch Buy Now
ZB5AW333 Push button Buy Now
ZBRN2 Modbus Hub Buy Now
ZBRRH 4 PNP Outputs Not Listed
ZBRV1 Visual Feedback Module Not Listed
782XBXM4L-24D Power Relay Buy Now
70-782D8-1A Relay Socket Buy Now

Note: The challenge kit does not provide everything that will be needed for this competition. The challenger will need to have the resources and equipment, as well as other minor parts to build their testing systems. Kit is valued approximately at $3,000.

The Dates

Project Phases Dates
Application Period 14th November 2023
Application Deadline 15th December 2023
Applicants Selected 22nd December 2023
Extra Credit Blogs Due 22nd February 2024
Final Summary Blog Due 28th February 2024
Winners Announced March 2024
Prizes Shipped March 2024

Technical Resources

Blog Requirements, FAQs, & Judging

The final, detailed, summary blog is the only requirement to successfully finish this program. However, a participant can earn extra points by publishing up to 5 extra credit blogs. Click the following link to read how these 5 blogs will be individually scored. More Information.

The Challengers

track your progress and see how you compare to other participants via the following table:

Final Results Blog Extra Credit
Blog 1		 Extra Credit
Blog 2		 Extra Credit
Blog 3		 Extra Credit
Blog 4		 Extra Credit
Blog 5		 Total Points
Name - Project
0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Where to Ask Questions?

For any general or technical questions about the competition, please post a comment on this page. It is monitored by element14.

Bookmarking this page is a good way to keep up-to-date with the competition.

The Terms

Please read the full terms and conditions attached below.

About Schneider Electric

Our purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On. Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency. We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software, and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure, and industries. We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive, and Empowered values. http://se.com

Anonymous

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    At first I was lost in the technology. Reference docs pointing to wrong items didn't help. I used the Buy Now links to pull additional docs and did some reading to frame in my mind what the vendor is providing.

    Each block represents a component the vendor supplies. The display can communicate with the Hub. The Hub can communicate with the button. The Hub can also communicate to the PLC. The PLC can communicate with the relay.

    The display can control the relay. The Hub can control the relay. The button can control the relay.

    If this was just a wired project the complexity is less. Since this involves wired and wireless connections and possibly multiple protocols providing flexibility and increasing complexity.

    These components can be rail mounted. That would make power distribution easier. I didn't see any reference to that in the package.

    I banged out this block diagram to solicit comments from the community. It looks like a nice piece of kit. I'm thinking of a possible farm application. I'm not sure if the project is industrial enough?

  • in reply to misaz

    If the selected five are the only once who compete for the final price and most likely it is that they are then two of them will also receive prices which could be that many candidates are left without having either one.

    That is why I insisted to increase the free kits number and may decrease the total number of parts one would get.

  • in reply to embeddedguy

    This happended few years ago also in Experimenting with Sensor Fusion. In these competition the bigger competition is in the first phase. It is hard to get selected, but when selected, you can consider yourself as a partial winner, because you won at least 3k USD kit. The final prize (which is lower value than the kit) is just a cherry on the cake.

  • I'd like to swap out a DirectLogic 5 PLC on our water tunnel with this TM251MESE PLC , however, I also need an analog I/O board for a flow sensor - currently using DirectLogic F0-4AD2DA-1.  I don't see any analog I/O in the kit.

  • in reply to embeddedguy

    Still thinking on this, as five people are required to receive the kit and quite comman that thay will be the only once who take part in the challenge. 
    It would become quite one sided game.

  • Wonderful kit. Can't wait to read about all the neat projects.

  • Wooh, that's an impressive kit.
    Way out of my league, but this should prove very interesting to watch.

  • in reply to embeddedguy

    Strict competition. Many working technicians/engineers already have Allen bradley PLCs, push buttons, relays except HMI display, but kit has many other components.

    US 3000, tough selection.

    Thumbsup

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