What is PLC?
Programmable Logic Controller
A small control computer that moves equipment and reads signals from sensors.
What it means
PLC is a control device inside the equipment. It reads the signals sent by the sensor and moves the motor and valves in a set order.
The PLC has values such as how many pieces have been made and whether it is spinning or stopped. If you read this value, you can know the production output without a person entering it.
At the pen factory
On day 19, sensors were installed on the assembly machine. A sensor detects each time a ballpoint pen passes by, and the assembly machine's PLC sends the number to the screen.
Why it matters
The first and most accurate person to know what the equipment did is the equipment itself.