Why do y'all expect Bubba and Cletus to be able to program or fully understand programming...it is not realistic.
I usually agree and respect RSDoran's posts, but I gotta differ on this one. I expect any maintenance electrician to be able to program and troubleshoot via programs. I have only worked in factories, but I can tell you this, it is imperitive that a maint. tech/elect. be able to read, understand, and troubleshoot PLC ladder, and FB is becoming a requirement as well. I have seen lines which are 1000 feet long, with 15 different processes being done on a given product. It would take 1 maint. man 25 years to learn the THOP of all of the given lines in a plant, and by the time he did, process engineering would have changed a lot of the system by then.
However, if said maint. tech knows very little about the process, but an engineer or operator can explain to him, what is not happening as it should, he should be able to backtrack from the faulty device to the source of the problem, via prints and or PLC logic. I will refuse to admit that this is not a requirement of the job in this day and age, and it is realistic.
If Bubba and Cletus are more skilled as maint. mechanics, then no, I wouldn't think that the above would be a requirement. Ideally, a crew would be equal parts mechanics and electricians, so that they can work together and cover all things required. That said, I will now shut up.