PLC trainning

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mimo

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does any body know if there is any schools to get trainning on using and programming PLC's, Thanks all
 
There's some stuff online. Do you have a particular brand in mind? They each have their own little quirks, and less and less is crossing over from brand to brand as they evolve.

PS: I have an Allen-Bradley PLC1 programming console (the size of a large suitcase) free to a good home, if anyone sill has any PLC1 stuff in service.
 
I don't have something specific in my mind but I like to know about PLC's and , if you know anything online let me know...thanks
 
It depends entirely on what you want to learn.

Many local jr colleges have PLC classes.

You won't get much out of any class unless you actually use the skills that are taught. Even so, it is unlikely you will get very far after the 3 or 5 day class without putting in a fair amount of effort, most of it the head scratching (or head banging) variety.

If you want to sound like you know what you are talking about, go to a 1/2 day seminar put on by one of the AB distributor sales people. You wil learn all the buzz words and if you take notes, you can actually use them in what seems like perfectly coherent sentences.
 
PLC manufacturers hold seminars and classes all the time. Do you work in manufacturing? Do you have any PLC's in your facility? If so, check with the vendor that provided the equipment and ask about training. Also, check different manufacturers on the web and see if they are offering something that interests you.
When I was in this business, we always had some kind of training going on for our customers.
Your question is a good one as I had trouble getting people to attend these classes even when we paid for their trip, lodging, entertainment and 3 meals a day.
 
PLC certification

PLC certification

I would go for certification to show proof that you have the knowledge.
CEI has a good micro course.
 
rayrmelc said:
I would go for certification to show proof that you have the knowledge.
CEI has a good micro course.
Click to expand...


I think the chance of anyone in the know caring about a certificate is slim. PLC programming and debug is a lot like doing electrical work. You can do things with a little knowledge and skill, but in many respects if you do not have the experience to know what you don't know you can easily get into big trouble.

It is a lot like DIYer's doing their own electrical work. There are a lot of things they can do quite safely, but there are a lot of things they probably can't and the difference is not always real obvious to the novice.

IMO, the only worthwhile PLC training, beyond the "get familiar with the terms and navigating the software type classes", is actual experience.

I have spent a lot of time fixing the fixes guys have put in out on the floor. What usually happens is half a dozen different electricans or techs, or whomever does such things at the plant, make their own little changes. Often the changes are poorly documented, and usually seems to be whatever it takes to get the plant back into production rather than fixing the real problem. One common thing is an output goes bad so they will move a wire and change the OTE instruction to the new address. But it is entirely possible that the old address is still used as a status bit somewhere and rarely does anyone check for that. After this happens 10 or 20 times, all sorts of flakey things start happening.
 
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Check out the following links:

http://claymore.engineer.gvsu.edu/~jackh/plcbook.html
http://www2.sea.siemens.com/Training/Self+Study+Courses/index.htm

There is a wealth of information on the web to get you started. You might also check with your local automation distributor, most have entry level training siminars. You normally have to go to the manufacturers (AB, Siemens, etc.) to get more advanced training although with a good understanding of the basics most people can figure out the advanced stuff on their own. Also most manufacturers publish an Instruction Set manual which is a very handy reference for understanding all of the available logic functions of the PLC.
 
Rockwell autmation (AB) has the best training of anyone on PLCs, but it runs $500 a day.
Go here for more information
http://www.rockwellautomation.com/services/training/
I have used a product from Koldwater Engineering called the PLC tutor its pretty good, done on your computer. But nothing beats hands on with a PLC.
You can purchase a AB micrologix 1000 with starter software for about $100. You'll need a DC power supply but this is a great way to get started.
 
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