Pacific Stamping
Press Line Safety & Productivity
SLC-500 press line with tonnage monitoring and undocumented safety circuits. OSHA inspection is pending and nobody on staff can explain the two-hand safety logic or the light curtain muting sequence. See how Controls Foundry builds the documentation package.
Tonnage
287tons
Crank Angle
182°
Parts/Minute
14ppm
Conveyor Index
RUNstatus
What's Running at This Shop
Two SLC-500 processors and a MicroLogix running a press line with safety-critical interlocks. OSHA wants to see the documentation.
PRS-400 — 400-Ton Press
SLC-500 1747-L551
Main stamping press with tonnage monitoring, two-hand anti-tie-down safety circuit, and light curtain muting logic. The SLC-500 handles all press safety interlocks — stroke control, top-stop, and overload detection. Program dates to 2003.
XFER-01 — Transfer Conveyor
MicroLogix 1400
Part transfer conveyor between the press and stacking station. Index timing is synchronized to the press crank angle via a hardwired cam switch input. The MicroLogix handles part-present sensing and jam detection.
DIE-PROT — Die Protection System
SLC-500
Separate SLC-500 monitoring die protection sensors — part-out, stock feed, and mislocate detection. If any sensor trips, the press must stop before the next stroke. This interlock path is what OSHA will scrutinize.
Live Preview
This is what Controls Foundry looks like when monitoring your equipment.
Signal Dashboard
Press Tonnage
Crank Angle
Die Temperature
Parts Per Minute
Shift Part Count
Reject Count
Shut Height
Part Height (Double Blank)
Annotated Ladder Logic
Press run permissive gate. Four conditions must all be true: mode selector in AUTO, guard door physically closed (interlock switch), clutch/brake monitor healthy (confirms adequate air pressure and acceptable wear), and E-stop clear. This is the master enable for the entire press line.
Emergency stop handler. Immediately disengages the clutch and applies the brake to stop the crankshaft. The press brake is fail-safe — it applies on loss of air or loss of electrical signal. The clutch releases the flywheel from the crankshaft so the ram stops within one revolution.
Single stroke initiation. The clutch engages only when four conditions align: press is enabled, crankshaft is at TDC (top dead center), two-hand circuit is satisfied, and a part is confirmed seated in the die. Missing any condition prevents the stroke — this is the most critical safety interlock on the press.
Tonnage overload protection. If the strain gauge load cells read above 180 tons (90% of the 200-ton rated capacity), the clutch immediately disengages and the brake applies. Overload can indicate a double blank, die misalignment, slug buildup, or material out of spec. The fault latches and requires operator reset after inspection.
and 10 more rungs annotated...
HMI Process View
How Controls Foundry Works
From undocumented press safety logic to OSHA-ready documentation — in three steps.
Upload & Parse
Upload the SLC-500 press control program and the die protection program. Controls Foundry parses both and maps the safety interlock chain from sensor to press stop.
Supports .RSS exports, .TXT ladder listings, and .CSV data tables.
Document & Annotate
AI-annotated rung descriptions explain the two-hand safety circuit, tonnage overload logic, light curtain muting sequence, and die protection interlocks in plain English.
Safety-critical rungs flagged and documented for OSHA review.
Plan Migration
Map SLC-500 I/O to new CompactGuardLogix hardware, extract test cases from recorded press cycles, and build a phased cutover plan that keeps production running.
Full safety validation matrix for the new press control system.
Related Reading
Stamping Press Safety: Documenting SLC-500 Logic
OSHA press safety requirements, tonnage monitoring, two-hand circuits, and why SLC-500 press controllers need documentation.
Read moreHow to Read an SLC-500 Without RSLogix
Extract and document your SLC-500 programs using modern tools — no Rockwell license required.
Read morePLC-5 to ControlLogix Migration Guide
What your integrator won't tell you about addressing changes, hidden costs, and the undocumented program problem.
Read more