Title: Lab 3-7: Automatic Control Using a Pressure Switch
Course: Electrical Motor Controls (Sandbox) > Section: Module 3: Common Control Circuits, 20 hr

Introduction

What is "Automatic Control"?

"Automatic Control" is the operation of a process without continuous human intervention. The opposite of Automatic Control is "Manual Control". "Manual Control" is the operation of a process with continuous human intervention.

This circuit is an example of an automatic circuit. A person turns on the circuit with the "On/Off" button. When the circuit is on, the pressure switch (which we are simulating using a limit switch on your trainer) controls the motor. Because the sensor controls the motor and not a person, we call it "automatic". (See the video for more information about the limit switch.)

Many different kinds of sensors can be used in your motor control circuits to turn motors on and off based on the states of those sensors.

Your Assignment

With that information and your prior knowledge building circuits that light up and energize motor coils, you will build a circuit that utilizes a limit switch. So, when a user turns the "on/off" switch on, the motor coil becomes energized or de-energized depending on the state of the limit switch. A green light illuminates when the motor coil is energized.

The following video will walk you through the steps of building the circuit according to the schematic shown below.

Note: Automation Studio is not required for this lab.

Lab Instructions

1. Watch the video introduction to this lab.
2. Unplug the Motor Controls trainer.
3. Build the circuit on the Motor Controls trainer.
4. Plug in and turn on the Motor Controls trainer.
5. Test the circuit.
6. When a user turns the "on/off" switch on, the motor coil becomes energized or de-energized depending on the state of the limit switch. A green light illuminates when the motor coil is energized.

Submission

To complete this lab, submit a 30-second video following the criteria found in the rubric. If you are working with another student, each of you must record and submit your own video.

Unless specified otherwise, any and all work on this lab page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.