Fortunately, however, these PLC anxieties are no longer valid. Technology developments in the PLC world have driven the price of PLCs down to the point where cost should no longer be a major concern. Moreover, PLCs have the edge over hardwired systems because they don't have to be scrapped for minor manufacturing scheme changes. No need to worry about productivity either. A PLC has an extremely short cycle time, which allows the productivity of machines under its control to increase quite considerably.
Maintenance is less of a concern as well because PLCs are designed with ease of maintenance in mind.
Moreover, PLCs have self-diagnosing interface circuits that can pinpoint malfunctions quickly and easily. PLC-based systems avoid the major weaknesses of electromechanical systems because they can be located near the equipment they control. As well, they save space on the factory floor by compacting mazes of large wire bundles and interconnections into an organized PLC enclosure. Make the leap. Consider a modular, expandable, and reliable programmable controller for your application.