Hey everyone,
I’m trying to figure out what other skills should I acquire to complement my PLC programming knowledge.
What are some of the skills you learned that helped you become a better PLC programmer and get a better & higher-paying job?
Did you learn particular programming languages? Did you get particular certifications in data analytics, cloud, or cyber? etc.
Thanks for the help!
A suggestion not often considered is to learn to program safety relays i.e. Pilz.com I ran into an issue early in my career not knowing how to program with this software. Rockwell has Guardmaster for example. To learn more here is a video on YouTube form Werner Electric; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLoHDtt2Ae0
It covers the software and also dont forget to visit Pilz to learn more as well.
Thoughts anyone?
Safety relays are definitely an important component of PLC programming. There are hard wired solutions, safety PLCs and safety programmable relays. Each one of those solutions requires a solid understanding of the hardware as well as software. You also need to be familiar with safety requirements, what’s required by code and just plain common sense.
I find safety particularly challenging as any mistake may potentially cause an irreversible incident. It’s important to push back on customers who “attempt” to cut corners and be “creative” when it comes to some of these functions.
On my end, I would add a solid understanding of networks. Everything’s on Ethernet nowadays, while many engineers have no clue how to connect a simple network, assign a VLAN, communicate between devices, etc.
Cheers,
Vlad