has anyone ever gone through this

I am considering applying for a job in manufacturing maintance. Job responsibilites our Troubleshoot and repair electrical problems with plant/manufacturing equipment including PLCs, AC/DC motors and drives. My background is in calibration, and I have an associates in electronic systems.
Some of my skills include
ƒÞ Repaired, calibrated, and modified test, measurement and diagnostic equipment.
ƒÞ Performed voltage, current, power, impedance, frequency, microwave, temperature, and physical-dimensional measurements.
ƒÞ Inspected, aligned, troubleshot, and repaired malfunctions in laboratory standards; to include manual and automated weapon system test devices.
The only plc knowledge I have are from this tutorial.
My question is do you think with me never being in a manufacturing environment it would be hard for me to pick up this job. I just dont want to apply for a job and tell and employer I can do it and then run into complications with work performance.

Wouldn't you have to have your Journeyman Electrician's Ticket for some aspects of your proposed new position? It sounds like you would certainly be competent enough for the job, and could probably pick things up, as long as you have enough of a grip on control circuitry to troubleshoot problems "under the gun". Where I work you would have to be a certified electrician though. As long as you are honest with your employer, you should have no trouble. At my sawmill here in Canada, things are so shaky with the 29 percent duty you poor Americans have to pay for your Canadian lumber that I managed to get a job here with no previous PLC programming experience. Everyone else is too scared to work here, as the less efficient sawmills are starting to shut down. Needless to say that beggers can't be choosers, and they are now training me (mostly trial by fire) in the ways of the sawmill (I came from the Oilfield).

Ok as a person in the maintenance field I wouldnt sweat too much what too many people thought. PLC's aside can you handle the job, plc's will be a small part of it and programming an even smaller part. If you are under the assumption that you will be a programmer and nothing more in a maintenance position you are fooling yourself.

What will be needed is an understanding of HOW to troubleshoot machines/systems with plc's involved. Are you comfortable with working with multimeters, ammeters, oscilloscopes, meggers, analyzers, computers, opertor interfaces, timers, diverse controllers ????

You will also need to UNDERSTAND how to work with AC & DC drive systems.

Relay logic, reading schematics, understanding mechanics..ie pneumatics, hydraulics etc is needed.

Overall if you can Troubleshoot/diagnose electrical problems by understanding the mechanics and/or have a strong ability/desire to learn then you can do the job.

Regardless of all the above, are you comfortable with the rest of the responsibilities?

Are you comfortable with the position/company/people? Is the money acceptable? This part isnt crucial but alas we all must make a living and its nice when we can like what we do plus the money is good.

I am not trying to scare you or drive you away from the field, we need good people in this field. Just consider what I have stated and decide if its a field you want to persue.

BTW I cant leave out the fact that maintenance usually HAS to work on days when others dont PLUS there are call ins...being called in all hours of the night and expected to work your regular shift, this of course is dependent on your being THE MAN..ie the first shift guy that knows his stuff. You can always be on a night shift and expected to do ALL maintenance.

It seems to me that your experience constitutes a technical mentality, and that wiil be what is expected of you most likely. I have worked in a mfg. enviornment for many years now, doing what you have applied for. It is a wonderful field, and with your background you should have no problems whatsoever. That is of course if you have learned what you know with some ease and enjoyment. Of course all work is what you make of it. I will tell you , in my experience that you may be entering a very wide field, depending on the company and thier boundries of maintenance. I have worked in places where duties ranged from soldering solid state cards to replacing angle stops in the restroom. Maybe your duties will be more specific.
Either way I hope the best for you, and remember another thing in the maintenance field doing the exact same repair is rare, at least in my experience. But I guess thats why I enjoy it so much.
God bless
Chuck Krages

I have a question.

What exactly is a certified electrician?

I have a AA degree in electronics, I work in a industrial plant as an electrician but my primary duties here are to troubleshoot problems and deal with advanced problems.

Certification is a joke in most cases. I can understand knowing someone is capable of running conduit and wires but the certification for electricians is a joke.

I am going to let my EGO speakout a little on this.

Certification says you know the difference between 1/2 & 3/4 conduit, you know how many 14 gauge wires fit in 1/2 conduit..etc. Doesnt mean you know the difference between a starter and a contactor or HOW to wire a start/stop ckt.

As I said I am letting my ego speak a little now, I will match my knowledge in an industrial environment with any "certified" or "master" electrician. Alas tho I paid my $150 to be considered a licensed/certified electrician.

All that said, if you think you can do the job and are comfortable with the duties involved then go for it.

Yes, I've been in that position, and yes, I have put other people in the same position !!! And I would hire you at the drop of the hat IF you showed an intrest in working With us. Trouble shooting / repairing PLC's is more often then not just a matter of common sense circuit tracing...'oh, that light isn't on....'.....and I would much rather train you to at least our standards the first time, than to have to make you relearn something our way!!! {I started as a farm tractor mechanic, moved to a glass plant as a shift man, then into plastics as lead instument tech, then to plant engineer of a large Injection / Blow Molding company, and now I'm the Automation Engineer for a mid sized Concrete Block company with 14 plants under my direction. And every day,I LEARN something.. } IF you will set yourself the goal of doing that,the sky is the limit. >>>Be up front with the people you want to work for..let them know that you want to learn all about the PLCS that they use, and that see what kind of training they are willing to offer. I like to offer my people as much training as they can absorb....and match their enhanced skills with enhanced pay. Sorry I'm going on so......Good luck,keep us all posted.....David

This is a most interesting thread because we can all relate to it.Eric, It's a great field to work in and provides everything;Stimulation,pressure,responsability,pride and the challenge of using your mind in a clear logical manner and not be frightened to give it a go!(Aussies do have the advantage of always having a plentiful supply of blood to the brain anyway!).As the other gents have said,we learn every day and I always tell our apprentices that it is no shame to say you don't know something,Most importantly Eric,Enjoy it!and you will do well.
Cheers

We in the UK have a name for unqualified people that try to become electricians/technicians without ever going to college.

CHANCERS

They apply for the jobs and take their chances

There is something I can never quite put my finger on with chancers. They do the job but they never do it quite right. Little things that jangle.

I work in many factories where these people work and they still call me when the going gets tough. These people always know what is wrong with the machine but for some reason did not quite have time to mend it today. And when I have sorted it, they already knew it was what I said it was.

I am probably eliteist, I went to college from age 15 to 21 for nothing else but electrical training. (2 days a week I might add, not full time) and when I was not at school I was being trained by the very best electricians. I took national exams and gained invaluable certificates in electrical theory and practice.

My education continues to this day and I earn a big part of my living through chancers ****-ups and malpractice.

I see them trying to find a control voltage fault with one lead of the digital meter connected to earth on a transformed supply and they tell me that the volage is OK because it exists at all test points.
But when I put my meter in the correct place suddenly the voltage is missing from one terminal. And then I get 'well, it was there when I tested it'

Loads and loads of little things that niggle me with 'not properly' trained tech's.

Rs,

We got a guy at work who calls himself the "HEAD"
electrician.

I wonder what that means?

There's also a "SENIOR" electrician. He's the one who's bent the most conduit and pulled the most wire.

Eric12,

You like to fix stuff--and you're bright. You have to be bright to calibrate standards, and nit-picky. You are now in a maintenance field--you just have to shift gears, so to speak. Troubleshooting is troubleshooting--and good troubleshooting skills work anyplace.

I can relate--I'm an old military techie myself. 1975-1978 Hawk Surface to Air missle system (illuminator and CWAC radars) When I left High School, I couldn't wait to get out of this town--3 years later, I couldn't wait to get back. So I gets back and gos to work at the local bicycle factory. After a couple years I bid on, and get a job as an Electrician in Maintenance. I learns what ladder logic is and I ain't looked back since. I changed manufacturers from bikes to beer cartons and now I write/troubleshoot ladder programs abnd some drive systems. (The first ladder relay logic diagram I saw I thought--what's with all those capacitors?? With a Radar electronics background, I'd never seen a relay contact represented that way before.) When I started, the PLC wasn't big, or maybe even invented, yet. My experience has evolved with the PLC. That makes things easier than trying to "jump" in later and know it all--you can't know it all--nobody does--be patient--ask questions--anyhow, go for it--have fun--good luck.

By the way--don't tell the employer you can do it, tell him of your experience. Let him ask you questions and decide if you can do it.

We have a test that we give to prospective craftsmen. One guy knew what a thermocouple was/did, but not an RTD. I don't see him having any troble grasping the concept--he just hadn't run across one yet. I think this is your position also. You just haven't seen things, yet. But with your background, you should have no trouble grasping the concept.

Journeyman electrician

Well, rsdoran, in Alberta, Canada an electrician isn't just a slave to some tech school nerd (I'm an ex accountant by the way, so I know a nerd when I see one). Yes we have some here that wire houses etc, but all electricians need to do a four year apprenticeship with over a year of technical training (including electronics and PLCs)to work in the trade here. Also, Tim, you will notice that most electricians are in better shape and more likely to be able to push your scrawny little butt around. Let's just say a good electrician is the most well rounded individual you can meet. The perfect combination of Brains 'n' Brawn. Quit disrespecting electricians. I just made $90,000 this year in a place where my 1500 Square foot house cost me $135,000. Enough of the electrician bashing you fat, lazy, coke drinking geeks. Also, don't come crying to me when you bump the wrong thing and blow your arm off.

There, that felt good.........

chancers

We in the UK have a name for unqualified people that try to become electricians/technicians without ever going to college.

Click to expand...

goody you are so right but the sorry fact is we employ so many of the due to skills shortage

Re: Journeyman electrician

Vetteboy said:

Tim, you will notice that most electricians are in better shape and more likely to be able to push your scrawny little butt around.

Click to expand...

Get out of here!!
Vetteboy Vetteboy,
I don't know where to begin, your reply was hysterical. Thanks for the laughter I can only guess that this type of discusion goes on more often then not. There is no disrespecting to electricians on my part. It's been along time since I've pulled some wire or ran some conduit. I guess I need to ask my boss to let me do some, so I can refresh my memory on how much it SUCKS! Who wants to do that **** when you could be sitting on your butt, pecking away on a keyboard. I look at it like this... when I stop learning new things on the job its time to move on. I did years of the labor and got burned out. I have to use my brain. I was getting to the point where I was pulling wire and bending conduit in my sleep. I know that its made up of more then pulling wire and conduit bending.

My job desciption is an electrician, but years ago I ran into a PLC and was amazed on all the little lights that were flashing on and off.
Today, I now train all of the new guys that come through the door wanting to learn PLC's and Robots. I don't claim to know everything about a plc, but enough to have a good understanding. You could probably say that most PLC programmers were once or are still electricians. The industry is demanding more of all around skills.

Eric, If you have the passion to do this then, you will succeed. If your wanting to do this for more money, you will not be happy. GO FOR IT!!

Re: Re: Journeyman electrician

Tim said:

Get out of here!!
Vetteboy Vetteboy

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Listen here grasshopper! I'm 3 years older than you. If you had a 'Vette we'd have to call you VetteChild. Arrogance is a sign of someone who wants to project the illusion of knowledge. The truly wise are humble, even when they know they are right. Let those who refuse to listen learn from the mistake (provided it's not death!) of not listening to you. You don't have to beat your chest like a gorilla. I was a little offended by the "Head" and "Senior" remarks, because that is what I am. Where I work the Electrician is King! Any computer/network/plc problems are our responsibility. As far as spending your life behind a keyboard, that's exactly why I quit accounting. It's your choice if you want grow up to be like Jared and have to go on the Subway diet.

Vetteboy,
I hope you were'nt truly offended by any of my remarks. If you were then I'm sorry. I guess the old saying is true that "its all fun and games until someone gets hurt."