I'm a small business programmer. I love solving tough problems with Python and PHP. If you like what you're seeing, you should probably follow me here on dev.to and then checkout my blog.
This is a great topic. Thanks for doing this. "Industrial automation engineer" is pretty broad.
Can you give us a little more detail on the kinds of automation you've worked on? Counting things? Moving things? Robots? Quality control? Packaging? Manufacturing? Etc?
And maybe some idea of the industries you've worked in? Automating a greenhouse is probably quite different than automating a semi conductor fab.
Finally, are you an independent contractor brought on just to install some automation? Or do you work for a company that exclusively does industrial automation for their clients? Or do you work for GM or something where automation for your employer is your full-time job?
I'm a small business programmer. I love solving tough problems with Python and PHP. If you like what you're seeing, you should probably follow me here on dev.to and then checkout my blog.
Cool. Thanks for the background info. My guess that most people on dev.to are web programmers of some flavor. We sit at our keyboards and churn out code in our offices.
Can you give us a feel for what your job is like? Field work? On a team? Do you do the same automation project over and over on the same equipment at different sites? Or are your projects mostly one-offs?
Does the client come to you with the target for automation or does your company help clients choose high valve projects? Are the automation projects designed to reduce manpower? Increase monitoring/data gathering? Increase safety? Other?
How much of your job is programming vs other?
Lots of people (including me) play with Arduino microcontrollers, raspberry pi-like computers, sensors, actuators, etc. From that experience, would we have any concept of what you do or is your job a completely different kettle of fish?
Do your clients expect you to meet proper engineering practices and standards or is it a more craft-like environment like most programming?
What percentage of your time goes to new projects/installations vs maintenance and repair on existing stuff?
Can you give us a feel for what your job is like? Field work? On a
team? Do you do the same automation project over and over on the same
equipment at different sites? Or are your projects mostly one-offs?
I did about 5 years field work, Install and Commissioning, and occasionally assist in major shutdown situations. Now I work in the office, though I kind of miss field work tbh. In the field, I would get a software package, install, and commission onsite. If there were any bugs, I would fix, document, and report back to office so it can be corrected in master copies. It would be different projects, and also one-offs. There would also be safety patches which were mandatory, and free for the customer.
Does the client come to you with the target for automation or does
your company help clients choose high valve projects? Are the
automation projects designed to reduce manpower? Increase
monitoring/data gathering? Increase safety? Other?
I am not involved in the design team, though I am in the process of making that transition in the next year or two, but meetings go pretty much like in any software project. There would be an initial call with the customer to discuss project requirements. Sometimes what the customer wants is just not feasible without making an astronomical system design change. So it is a give or take situation. Sometimes a customer wants an extra safety feature for their operators. Industrial automation is done for several reasons, easy to maintain, boost production, safety, ability to track performance, etc. In the end is all about performance, and safety.
How much of your job is programming vs other?
Lots of people (including me) play with Arduino microcontrollers,
raspberry pi-like computers, sensors, actuators, etc. From that
experience, would we have any concept of what you do or is your job a
completely different kettle of fish?
Yes, it is exactly the same. A PLC is essentially a controller just like arduino, but industrial controllers have passed certifications. And industrial sensors are built around 24VDC rather than 3.3 or 5VDC like arduino or pi, analogs sensors 4-20mA but yeah is the same jist. The main difference between microcontrollers, and PLCs is that PLCs are built with maintenance and electrical engineers in mind for ease of future troubleshooting. See below pic for one of the main programming languages based on relay logic drawings. That could be written in a few lines of high level language, but would look alien to maintenance personnel.
Do your clients expect you to meet proper engineering practices and
standards or is it a more craft-like environment like most
programming?
There are multiple entities for proper engineering practices. IEC 61131-3 for PLC code, and well for general electrical controls we have National Electrical Code (NEC).
What percentage of your time goes to new projects/installations vs
maintenance and repair on existing stuff?
A high percentage goes to new installations, one-off patches here and there. Not much maintenance as there are other teams that handle that.
I'm a small business programmer. I love solving tough problems with Python and PHP. If you like what you're seeing, you should probably follow me here on dev.to and then checkout my blog.
Is there a book you'd recommend if I wanted to learn a little more about what you do?
Maybe not a super technical book but just an overview of the field so I know what's out there? Industrial automation for dummies? An introduction to industrial automation for business decision makers? Something like that?
Yes, thanks for the interesting questions as well.
This book has been the golden standard for introductions to the automation world. Incredibly enough not much has changed since its first draft, and since Rev5 the book still pretty good and up to date.
I've edited the article, but just so you know CodeSys IDE is free, if you want to poke around plc programming there are tons of tutorials on youtube, and you can simulate without hardware or you can even use a raspberry pi for an actual hardware project.
Though I have to say if you write in python, is probably not worth the hassle to use codesys unless you plan on interfacing with other things that are codesys compatible.
Hey, thanks for sharing that book, it's a fantastic resource! I've been in the industrial automation field for about a year now, and I'm always on the hunt for new learning materials!
This is a great topic. Thanks for doing this. "Industrial automation engineer" is pretty broad.
Can you give us a little more detail on the kinds of automation you've worked on? Counting things? Moving things? Robots? Quality control? Packaging? Manufacturing? Etc?
And maybe some idea of the industries you've worked in? Automating a greenhouse is probably quite different than automating a semi conductor fab.
Finally, are you an independent contractor brought on just to install some automation? Or do you work for a company that exclusively does industrial automation for their clients? Or do you work for GM or something where automation for your employer is your full-time job?
Hey Blaine thanks for the suggestions, sorry pretty new at this ama thing. I'll edit the post with some more information.
Cool. Thanks for the background info. My guess that most people on dev.to are web programmers of some flavor. We sit at our keyboards and churn out code in our offices.
Can you give us a feel for what your job is like? Field work? On a team? Do you do the same automation project over and over on the same equipment at different sites? Or are your projects mostly one-offs?
Does the client come to you with the target for automation or does your company help clients choose high valve projects? Are the automation projects designed to reduce manpower? Increase monitoring/data gathering? Increase safety? Other?
How much of your job is programming vs other?
Lots of people (including me) play with Arduino microcontrollers, raspberry pi-like computers, sensors, actuators, etc. From that experience, would we have any concept of what you do or is your job a completely different kettle of fish?
Do your clients expect you to meet proper engineering practices and standards or is it a more craft-like environment like most programming?
What percentage of your time goes to new projects/installations vs maintenance and repair on existing stuff?
I did about 5 years field work, Install and Commissioning, and occasionally assist in major shutdown situations. Now I work in the office, though I kind of miss field work tbh. In the field, I would get a software package, install, and commission onsite. If there were any bugs, I would fix, document, and report back to office so it can be corrected in master copies. It would be different projects, and also one-offs. There would also be safety patches which were mandatory, and free for the customer.
I am not involved in the design team, though I am in the process of making that transition in the next year or two, but meetings go pretty much like in any software project. There would be an initial call with the customer to discuss project requirements. Sometimes what the customer wants is just not feasible without making an astronomical system design change. So it is a give or take situation. Sometimes a customer wants an extra safety feature for their operators. Industrial automation is done for several reasons, easy to maintain, boost production, safety, ability to track performance, etc. In the end is all about performance, and safety.
Yes, it is exactly the same. A PLC is essentially a controller just like arduino, but industrial controllers have passed certifications. And industrial sensors are built around 24VDC rather than 3.3 or 5VDC like arduino or pi, analogs sensors 4-20mA but yeah is the same jist. The main difference between microcontrollers, and PLCs is that PLCs are built with maintenance and electrical engineers in mind for ease of future troubleshooting. See below pic for one of the main programming languages based on relay logic drawings. That could be written in a few lines of high level language, but would look alien to maintenance personnel.
There are multiple entities for proper engineering practices. IEC 61131-3 for PLC code, and well for general electrical controls we have National Electrical Code (NEC).
A high percentage goes to new installations, one-off patches here and there. Not much maintenance as there are other teams that handle that.
Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
Is there a book you'd recommend if I wanted to learn a little more about what you do?
Maybe not a super technical book but just an overview of the field so I know what's out there? Industrial automation for dummies? An introduction to industrial automation for business decision makers? Something like that?
Yes, thanks for the interesting questions as well.
This book has been the golden standard for introductions to the automation world. Incredibly enough not much has changed since its first draft, and since Rev5 the book still pretty good and up to date.
Is a free book with gnu license.
pacontrol.com/download/plcbook5_0.pdf
Cheers!
I've edited the article, but just so you know CodeSys IDE is free, if you want to poke around plc programming there are tons of tutorials on youtube, and you can simulate without hardware or you can even use a raspberry pi for an actual hardware project.
Though I have to say if you write in python, is probably not worth the hassle to use codesys unless you plan on interfacing with other things that are codesys compatible.
Hey, thanks for sharing that book, it's a fantastic resource! I've been in the industrial automation field for about a year now, and I'm always on the hunt for new learning materials!
You're welcome. Which plc brands do you use?
We've used Rockwell and in the past some Schneider Electric PLCs, though I hear rumors we have a European office that uses Siemens.