Time for us to take a look at another circuit. This time we will look at a very basic Plugging Control Circuit. What does the name mean? It is merely a circuit where we prevent rapid changing of direction of the motor. In other words, we want to prevent the operator from going in one direction and immediately switch to the other direction before the motor has come to a stop.
If you have a look at the circuit below you will notice a few things. The first is that there is no retaining contact to keep the circuit energised in either the Forward or Reverse direction. This means you must hold the start button down to keep the motor running. As soon as you let the start button go, the motor will stop.
The next items you will notice are the two Timers. We have a timer that will be energised as soon as the Forward or Reverse buttons are pushed. Whilst holding the button down the timer will time out the pre-set time and only then will the contactor be energised. As soon as you let the button go and push the next one, the second timer will start it’s time and there will be a delay once again before the contactor is energised.
Please remember this circuit is a very basic example of how it can be done. Please ensure that you test and ensure the safety of operation for any circuit you design before implementing it into a machine.
Have a think about where you would be able to use this type of control and why it would be useful in that application. Till next time, remember Safety First and Production Second. Never take risks in order to maintain production!
