Question for Professional PLC Programmers

[Bret Davis]

So this is not a technical question. I'm working on a paper, and I wanted to know what duties a professional PLC programmer has. For instance, is your job limited to solely programming a PLC or do you get involved with programming robots, smart cameras, and etc? Are you primarily comfortable with programming PLCs, or are you comfortable with the other technological aspects involved in maintaining and connecting the PLC via ethernet, devicenet, and etc? Is it common for non-technologically inclined people (i.e. managers) to work with the PLC, or is it strictly limited to people specially trained to use them?

Any info you can give me would be greatly appreciated

 

[Jeff23spl]

To my point of view, plc programmers need to know more than only programming...They have to understand how a machine need to work so they need to understand a variety of mecanical process, particularity of many industrial transformation etc. They also need to know very well how electrical panels works to find any problems when the coding can't figure it out...
They also need to know some basic rule of many area of life

In the other side, plc aren't reserved but it need special skills and logic. It's computer oriented, work with mathematic and relay logic making them not for everyone...Most of peoples could learn how to manage it but it's not a matter of few class days but manny months or even years
But 1 purpose of hmi programming is to made the machine compatible with managers and operators. The HMI itself is made to help theses guy to work with the plc program without interfering with. But having operator to enter the plc programmable logic would not be the a good idea as long as the operator got special skills and formation to do it.

 

[Bret Davis]

That seems to make good sense. The one thing I want to know most of all is the utilization of industrial robots as far as PLC programmers are concerned. The reason being I'm currently doing research involving robotics cells and PLCs, and the kinematic and logical virtual simulation of these systems. Do PLC programmers frequently program robots? Would a scripted language or state diagrams for programming be more preferable?

 

[Sergei Troizky]

First of all, very few companies can afford a full time programmer solely for PLC programming.
Also, the answers may differ depending on whether they apply to machinery manufacturer or end user company.
I am working for a packaging machinery manufacturer, and can share my 20 years experience.

... is your job limited to solely programming a PLC or do you get involved with programming robots, smart cameras, and etc?

Internally to our company, I program everything programmable, that is PLC, HMI, robots, vision, motor drives, intelligent sensors, certain PC applications, etc.
In other words, everything necessary for the machine functionality.
We do not program simple integrated equipment, e.g. printers, because they are typically being started up by end user.

Some projects require third party machinery control reprogramming on customer site.
We do not program the user side of networks not involved in the machine functionality, e.g. SCADA.

Are you primarily comfortable with programming PLCs, or are you comfortable with the other technological aspects involved in maintaining and connecting the PLC via ethernet, devicenet, and etc?

No OR here. I am primarily comfortable with programming PLCs, AND comfortable with the other technological aspects we use?

Is it common for non-technologically inclined people (i.e. managers) to work with the PLC, or is it strictly limited to people specially trained to use them?

No it's not common at all, if you mean system design or PLC programming.
Non-technologically inclined people are not capable of this.