Industrial automation is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Today’s manufacturing environments require professionals capable of integrating mechanical systems, sensors, actuators, and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) to develop more efficient, intelligent, and flexible production processes. In this context, educational institutions are increasingly seeking educational equipment that enables students to gain hands-on experience using the same technologies employed in modern industry.

Among the most valuable resources for this type of training are PLC workstations, designed to replicate real industrial processes in a safe and controlled environment. These systems help bridge the gap between theory and practice, allowing students to understand how automated production lines operate while developing the competencies required by Industry 4.0.

The importance of PLC Workstations in technical education

PLCs are at the core of modern industrial automation. They are responsible for controlling production lines, coordinating machinery, monitoring sensors, and executing automated sequences with precision and reliability. Industries such as automotive manufacturing, food processing, logistics, pharmaceuticals, and electronics manufacturing rely on these control systems every day.

For this reason, technical education has evolved toward more practical teaching methodologies, where students not only learn theoretical concepts but also develop real-world technical skills. PLC workstations enable students to program, monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize automated processes using genuine industrial components.

Unlike purely virtual simulations, this educational equipment incorporates sensors, actuators, pneumatic components, motors, and control systems that allow students to interact with a physical installation similar to those they will encounter in professional industrial environments.

Simulating real industrial processes

One of the greatest strengths of PLC workstations is their ability to replicate specific operations commonly found in automated production lines.

Rather than programming isolated instructions, students work with complete industrial applications involving material handling, object detection, inspection, sorting, positioning, pneumatic systems, and motion control.

This learning methodology enables students not only to understand how to program a PLC, but also why specific control strategies are selected according to the requirements of each industrial process.

Throughout these practical exercises, students also develop knowledge in areas such as:

• Sequential automation.
• Industrial sensing technologies.
• Feedback control systems.
• Process optimization.
• Automated quality control.
• Industrial process safety.

These competencies are essential for meeting the demands of today’s smart manufacturing environments.

AE-PLC-SLB: EDIBON Ball Selection Workstation

Among the many processes involved in industrial automation, sorting and classification operations play a particularly important role. These applications are widely used across numerous industries where products must be separated according to specific characteristics before continuing through the production process.

To prepare future professionals for these industrial applications, EDIBON has developed the Ball Selection Workstation (AE-PLC-SLB), a workstation designed to reproduce an automated object-sorting process using an industrial PLC.

Using this educational equipment, students can observe how different balls are automatically detected, identified, and classified according to pre-programmed criteria. Throughout the process, industrial sensors, pneumatic components, actuators, and the PLC work together to process incoming information and execute the appropriate actions required to direct each object to its designated destination.

This combination of technologies enables students to gain a practical understanding of how the different components of an automated system interact, facilitating the learning of industrial programming, process control, and system monitoring.

An educational equipment for developing industrial skills

The AE-PLC-SLB allows students to work with automation principles that are widely applied throughout modern industry while gaining practical experience in a safe, education-oriented environment.

Using this workstation, students can develop competencies related to:

• PLC programming.
• Industrial sensor configuration.
• Automated sequence control.
• Signal monitoring.
• Pneumatic actuator operation.
• Automated sorting logic.
• Fault diagnosis and troubleshooting.
• Automated process optimization.

Because the entire process is fully visible, students can easily correlate their PLC programming with the actual behavior of the system, reinforcing their understanding through direct observation and hands-on practice.

EDIBON and industrial automation education

EDIBON designs its educational equipment to replicate real industrial processes while adapting them to the needs of technical education. Their PLC workstations enable universities, vocational training centers, and engineering laboratories to deliver a more practical learning experience aligned with the current demands of modern industry.

The Ball Selection Workstation (AE-PLC-SLB) clearly reflects this educational philosophy by integrating mechanical systems, industrial sensors, pneumatic actuators, and PLC programming into a single piece of educational equipment. As a result, students not only learn how to program a programmable logic controller, but also gain a comprehensive understanding of how an automated industrial process operates while developing the technical competencies required by today’s manufacturing sector.

As automation continues to expand across virtually every industrial sector, PLC workstations have become an essential educational resource for preparing the next generation of engineers and technicians specializing in industrial automation.

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Article submitted by:

EDIBON International, S.A

Spain