A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) sequences the robot arm through discrete states — wait for part, approach, grip, lift, move, place, release — timed against sensors on the conveyor.
state machine: WAIT -> APPROACH -> GRIP -> LIFT -> MOVE -> PLACE -> RELEASE -> WAIT
throughput = 1 / cycle_time (parts/s)
fault if arm_speed too high relative to cycle_time
- Cycle time — the PLC's target duration for one full pick-and-place cycle.
- Arm speed — how fast the robot's joints actually move between waypoints; if too fast for the cycle time budget, faults rise.
- Conveyor speed — how fast parts arrive at the pick zone.
Real industrial cells balance cycle time against mechanical arm speed and part arrival rate — pushing arm speed too hard without matching the PLC timing budget increases dropped-part faults, exactly as modeled here.