ABB has set up a network of PLC integrators to give OEMs easy access to PLC programming expertise. It has signed partnership agreements with four integrators, giving them each exclusive rights over a regional sales territory.

The four are: Bryant Electrical in Rochester, Kent; Elite Control Systems in Livingston; Control House in Elland; and Tycon in Wrexham. All will carry a large local stock of ABB PLCs, supported by a central stock in Germany, where the PLCs are made.

“ABB has ambitious plans to grow its PLC business beyond anything we have done in the past and we will be looking to expand the PLC partner network to support this,” says Gary Busby, ABB sales manager for small drives and PLCs. “There is certainly room for the network to be doubled.”

One range the integrators are stocking is the modular AC500 that allows users to improve performance by changing modules. Upgrading a CPU module boosts processing performance, without affecting other parts of the system. New products in the pipeline include a range of HMIs and a SIL 3 rated PLC.