Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are widely used for control and automation of\nmachines and processes, so the quality of PLC software has a direct impact on production efficiency.\nThis paper describes a PLC program for a food production line that was completely rewritten\nusing a different software architecture and framework. The PLC hardware and the production\nline equipment were not changed, so this project provides an opportunity to quantify the impact\nof different PLC software architecture on production efficiency. The average number of cases of\nproducts produced per production hour during the first ten months with the new program was 6.1%\nhigher than the average during the previous ten months with the old program. PLC software, unlike\nmost other software, is often used by the end-user for troubleshooting. In this case, a relatively\nsimple architecture and framework that favors the end-user significantly improved production\nefficiency over a more sophisticated architecture and framework that favors the software developer.\nSuggestions for further research on software architecture and framework are given.
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