Most conventional control systems are custom and very specific to a given application and installation. They're made up of one or more large, centrally located electrical panels. To build these panels, you need custom engineering and programming, as well as a concerted field wiring effort. It is difficult (and sometimes impossible) to implement, modify, and upgrade these conveyor control systems in a short time frame, or at reasonable costs.

Distributed, modular controls allow the control system hardware to follow the physical flow of the conveyor equipment, making the installation wiring mostly localized. You're no longer pulling miles of wire back to large, centrally located panels. This results in a faster, easier, and more error-free electrical installation.

Distributed, modular controls also mean faster testing and debugging. You can have your hardware and control devices (sensors, actuators, etc.) mounted and wired to the conveyor as it's set in place. With data communications and emergency stop networks designed such that certain areas of the system can be commissioned independent of others, your debug team does not have to wait for installers to be completely done to energize parts of the system and begin the testing process.

Flexibility is important. You need to be able to make alterations to your design when the need arises. Because distributed, modular control devices are wired to the nearest module, it is easy for the team to make "on the fly" decisions quickly on things like the final locations of operator pertinent devices, such as emergency stops and pushbuttons. A conventional centralized panel approach would make it next to impossible to relocate or add devices once the wires have been pulled from the main panel.

Naturally, when your business needs grow and change, you need your conveyor system to grow and change with you. With distributed control and expandable modularity, installing and commissioning modifications is as simple as mounting the new hardware and connecting the network cables. The communication and emergency stop networks are designed to accommodate the additions.