PLC innovation

I have work on plcs in class for past 2 years, (allen bradley, Ge fanuc) does anyone have good suggestions for innovative companies that are working a lot with plcs?

I do not know of any who are not.

[email protected] said:

I have work on plcs in class for past 2 years, (allen bradley, Ge fanuc) does anyone have good suggestions for innovative companies that are working a lot with plcs?

Click to expand...

Well, I would say 95% or better of the companies that are manufacturing are doing it with PLC's. The alternative would be PC based systems using remote I/O platforms.

But most manufacturing companies are going to want you to couple that PLC knowledge with something else depending on the process or job. That could be an electrical eng. degree specializing in power, controls, or others. It could also be a mechanical eng. degree specializing in machine design, pneumatics, or hydraulics.

If your knowledge is only in PLC's then the only avenue I can think of would be a large automation integrator that parcels the design up and would basically be the title "PLC Programmer", but there may be manufacturers that have such as well. If so, at the very least they would probably want you to have a working knowledge of robotic, vision and scada systems as well. Good Luck.

True, the companies are endless...
Just to name a few "BIG" and popular ones we have worked with:

ConAgra Foods
Frito Lay
Chevron
Pepsi Bottling Company
Coca-cola Bottling Company
Safeway
Foster Farms
E&J Gallo Winery
The Wine Group
Teichert
Basilite Company
General Mills
Sunnyside
Blue Diamond
Costco
Cargill Animal Nutrition

Here are general industries that I have also done work for:

Food and Beverage (Food Processing, Dairy, Wine, Olive Oil, Bakeries, etc)
Plastic Manufacturing
Filter Media Manufacturing
Pharmaceutical
Aggregate and Construction
Paper & Cogeneration
Energy Plants
Waste Water Districts...

There are thousandths more out there.. but you get the idea..

I'm not clear how we connect the issues of "innovative companies" and "that are working a lot with PLCs".

I don't honestly see any cause-and-effect connection between being an innovative company and whether or not you happen to use PLCs. Innovation in any company (manufacturing, service, commercial, whatever) surely comes more from the mind-set of the senior management team and how they drive the next stage of the company's development. I've also seen many companies who use PLCs extensively but are relatively mundane and unadventurous in what they actually do. The PLCs may have made the task quicker, safer, cheaper but essentially it's the same task that was being done some fifty years ago in the same company by other means (usually human).

Just out of curiosity I've taken a look online at the annual reports for Rockwell and Siemens. Now I don't know but I'd strongly suspect these guys must use PLCs everywhere in their manufacturing! Rockwell's report shows their R&D budget last year was about 4.1% of their sales, and Siemens was about 5%. I'd say these were two pretty innovative companies so perhaps we can use that level of R&D investment as a benchmark. By comparison I've also just checked Apple. Theirs comes out at about 2.7% What does that tell us? Are they more or less innovative than Rockwell and Siemens? Do they use more or fewer PLCs in their Asian sweatshops? (Actually I think it just shows how big their sales were. Their R&D alone was nearly 40% of Rockwell's total sales!)

So, innovation and the use of PLCs. Does one lead to the other? Is there any connection at all? Or is it just coincidence that the kind of company that tends to be innovative may also be the kind of company that uses automation in manufacturing and process control?

Thanks for all the feedback, I believe those companies will be great start, to look. I am not sure of the connection between innovation and use of plc's but I tend to think if a company has not jumped into the plc or dcs, that there behind the ball and how innovative can you be if all your concerned about it maintaining the status quo, if your not even interested in the most modern technology, then I can't see how likely you will be bringing in a new item to the market or changing.

[email protected] said:

Thanks for all the feedback, I believe those companies will be great start, to look. I am not sure of the connection between innovation and use of plc's but I tend to think if a company has not jumped into the plc or dcs, that there behind the ball and how innovative can you be if all your concerned about it maintaining the status quo, if your not even interested in the most modern technology, then I can't see how likely you will be bringing in a new item to the market or changing.

Click to expand...

That really depends on the process and the market. In the list Digi posted you saw General Mills. I have personally worked at several of their plants and the plants are fairly modern but I also know that the Cherios they are making right now are pretty much the same as the Cherios they were making 20 years ago. In manufactoring you only change the process when it pays to change. If the change is not going to make you money then there is no point in it.

If what you are wanting to do is build new machines when you finish school you should probably focus on companies that build machines not manufactor companies.

Some of those ( atleast one, whom employs me) may have some catch 22 type openings. They want experience but you will not get any in those fields until they hire. I am sure processed meat goods, potato chips, and oil/gas/ chemical have different means of programing due to dangers federal regulations. Basically running a conveyor belt at a Pepsi Co. Will not be the same as, running a bagging machine for Tyson....

@Ken - OP didn't ask if there was a "cause-and-effect" relationship between PLCs and innovation in companies. He appears to be trying to find a job at an innovative company that can use his newly acquired skillset involving PLC programming.

@dbigby - Most organizations in manufacturing, industrial systems integration, and many more have positions for PLC programmers. There are lots of options out there for you.

Ken M said:

I'm not clear how we connect the issues of "innovative companies" and "that are working a lot with PLCs".

I don't honestly see any cause-and-effect connection between being an innovative company and whether or not you happen to use PLCs. ...

Click to expand...

I work for one of the big companies high on Digita7voic3's list, they are definitely not afraid to innovate, but only if there is a benefit to do so. There are so many PLCs in the plant I lost count of them, A large portion of the plant still runs on the PLC5 platform, very dependable. A major plant upgrade is in process but it's in addition to, not upgrading existing equipment.

I worked for a Japanese equipment manufacturer for 20 years, there were constant mechanical and electrical upgrades to the machinery they sold to make them faster, and more productive using less labor, which made them more competitive.

As far as PLC and controls work in general goes, I was much closer to the cutting edge when I worked for an equipment manufacturer. Unfortunately, they make most of their money on new equipment sales. After a few major company wide layoffs, I was forced to change careers.