Keeping It Real

Good Afternoon members,

If you could take a few moments, I would appreciate your opinions. I am the Plant Manager of our small company, which has installed a automated machine including a pick-and-place and tennoner machine. The machine builder contracted out the PLC programming. To make a long story short, we (the customers) were somehow left with a machine that has some programming errors. Although we have hired the original independent programmer, it has been a long battle to get him over to our facility in Cornell, WI to finish what has been started. We have waited almost over six months to complete a few sequence changes.

The owner of our company has now insisted that we search for another PLC programmer to complete the task. I'm afraid we will have to reinvent the wheel if we start from scratch with a new programmer. Although I have taken basic logic classes, I am not the individual to take on this task.

Would it be unethical to post a file of this logic in this forum for experienced viewers to voice the opinion of the level of difficulty with this program? Also I would like the opinion of others as to whether or not it would be complicated for a new programmer to pick up this task and run with it. I can provide decriptions of the sequence operation this logic follows.

Finally, any independent programmers in the Eau Claire, WI area?

Thank You,
Scot

I'm absolutely SURE there's someone on the forum who can evaluate your program for you but any drastic changes to it should definitely be done onsite.

As long as you own the source code with documentation, there should be no problem posting it here.

However, if you do post it here, you are likely to get many different responses on the best way to modify your code.

If you do have a complete sequence of operations and are clear on what needs to be changed, then it shouldn't really be to big of deal to modify the code.

This might be a fun project for us to do, all though I must tell you upfront that we work for beer.

Thanks for the reply. This is why we have been waiting for so long because we understand that the programmer needs to view the problems on site. I would just like an outside opinion about the level of difficuly for an experienced programmers point of view.

skelly said:

Would it be unethical to post a file of this logic in this forum for experienced viewers to voice the opinion of the level of difficulty with this program?

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Given the lack of support, I would not consider it unethical.

Second, was this a custom machine? I usually consider the buyer of a custom machine the owner of the program anyway.

I am in Milwaukee. I would be willing to help for a trip charge. I am sure you can find someone closer, but if you don't have any luck...

"we work for beer"...funny.

I'm just looking for opinions right now. What is the best way to attach the RSLogix 5000 file?

This is a custom machine. It has been an ongoing battle between the machine builder and the independent programmer. We can no longer afford to wait until they arrive at a compromise.

skelly said:

To make a long story short, we (the customers) were somehow left with a machine that has some programming errors. Although we have hired the original independent programmer, it has been a long battle to get him over to our facility in Cornell, WI to finish what has been started. We have waited almost over six months to complete a few sequence changes.

Would it be unethical to post a file of this logic in this forum for experienced viewers to voice the opinion of the level of difficulty with this program?

Click to expand...

Was it not unetical to have been left with a program with errors and then unethical again to have to wait six months to battle to get the original programmer over to complete some sequence changes!

What flavour of plc is it out of interest ?

I am sure you will

a. get help here
b. find someone more than adequate near you to get you going properly

skelly said:

What is the best way to attach the RSLogix 5000 file?

Click to expand...

ZIP it

Mark Buskell said:

all though I must tell you upfront that we work for beer.

Click to expand...

Joking apart, i have actually done a few jobs in the past and taken payment in red wine and curry's.........

You're dealing with an illiterate here. How can I zip the file and attach for easy viewing? I didn't take the time to practice posting yet.

Go to www.winzip.com, download and install their software. When you create a new file, add the program file.

Then when you post here, click the Attach File button below the box you are typing in, add the WinZip file you created and click upload. Then submit your post and the file should be attached in .zip format.

What is the ensuing battle. Is the OEm not paying the programmer? Is he willing to come to you directly? This would be, of course, placing you in a grey area as to the question of ethics. I imagine that the OEM has not paid so the programmer is not willing to contract direct.

In most cases, if you do get other outside help, be clear on what you want. Anyone with good experience will be able to help you with no problems.

I will help, but there will be trip charges if I need to come there.

David

Although there were problems with the OEM not payine, we have since then stepped up and began paying the programmer ourselves, but I believe that he has too many "irons in the fire". Pay is not the issue, just getting him here consistently.