Fault Finding & Diagnostics for PLCs

Automated factory systems are wide spread throughout industry and cover a huge variety of operations in all sorts of production line applications.  Control of these production lines and associated systems that provide inputs to the finished product are complex and require both operators and maintenance personnel to have a good understanding of how they work.

This three-day introduction to troubleshooting and fault diagnostics for programmable logic controllers (PLCs) at our Technology Hub in Aston, Birmingham will show delegates learn how to undertake routine diagnostics using the PLC to fault find machine and system breakdowns.

Course content

During the course the delegates will cover the following subject areas.

• Hardware and software faults
• Changing the battery
• Changing input and output modules
• Identifying PLC and networking faults
• Checking programme defect blocks
• Checking hardware and diagnosing faults
• Clearing memory and download programs 
• Checking software against latest copy
• Monitoring programs effectively
• Understanding basic ladder programs
• Searching for specific operands and instructions
• Carry out I/O checks
• Checking and creating monitor tables
• Calling up reference data to assist with software diagnostics
• Creating back-ups of PLC programmes

Pre-requisites

Delegates do not need any prior knowledge of PLC systems but ideally will be familiar with PLC control systems and operations.
The course runs over three days and covers some underpinning theory and practical work on how to identify and prevent causes of PLC failure, as well as how to implement safe working practices around PLC controlled and electrical systems, and use some fault finding techniques such as the FCR (fault cause remedy) approach.

Assessment

Whilst there is no formal assessment on this course, delegates will need to demonstrate a basic working knowledge and understanding PLC controls and that they can work safely. On successful completion of the course, delegates will receive a certificate of attendance.  Performance feedback can be provided to the Customer if required.

More details

Career progression:

By the end of this course the delegates will have developed a basic understanding of PLCs, how to undertake troubleshooting of systems, the safe maintenance and effect simple fault finding and diagnostics of PLC systems.