Hi All

Hoping someone can help me out with this. I am looking to improve my knowledge of PLC's. I normally work as an installation and commissioning engineer but have a bit of a knowledge gap so looking to fill it.

I have scoured the internet and found like many others that direct training courses are very expensive. So the first question is how do I go about get cost effective training. i.e. is there anywhere I can get grants etc for expensive training or what is the best online training course? what are the best books to use? I am starting from a basics for this.

Secondly, through my research I have found two courses in and around where I live that will do a funded training course for very cheap or free. However they never have enough demand to run the course. I have been waiting three months for both colleges without any joy. So would anyone out there be interested in doing a basic PLC course at Oxford and Cherwell or Central Sussex Colleges please get in touch.

All help on this greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Andy

Hi

I started out by borrowing telemechanique PL7 pro software and a plc and just having a go.

I have never been on a course yet and have built entire control systems with HMI's included.
also integrated hmi's onto existing plcs
and exchanged large plcs with remote i/o and analog control

its more a case of having the time to have a go in my opinion
also telemechanique produce very good literature to go with their kit which helps alot (also downloadable from the shnieder website if you want a look)

Thats definately the way I would set out.
and then tidy up with a specific manufacturers course - I would like to really get to grips with siemens now as its our companys new standard PLC (was telemec)

good luck
Joe

As the last poster said, decide which PLC type your most likely to come across and need knowledge off, get a copy of the software and just have a go. Set yourself a small project, ideally for a PLC type that you can get some time to play on. You may even consider buying a small Micrologix system, they're not pennies, but they are affordable. Ability to read electrical drawings will help with Ladder logic, or you can choose to program with statement list, (not dissimilar to writing in C++), or the other one I never use & can't remember!

Allen Bradley stuff is very user friendly, has excellent help files, and is widely used. The software used to be open to piracy and was widely available if you new where to look, but I think the new licensing system has stopped most of that. Seimens Step 7 for S7 series PLC's is not as intuitive IMO, and the help files can be frustrating, but the PLCs are also commonly used. The software can be obtained without a licence, but you will be plagued by pop-ups telling you to get one. Have only done a few bits n bobs with Mitsubishi PLC's, but the software seemed similar to the Siemens stuff. Take your pick and have a go.

if you go onto the rs website theres some kits on there. i was lucky enough to play around with mitsubishi and allen bradley plc's a few years ago then found a mitsubishi melsec spare at work. i made a simulator for it and played about so now am confident with them its not that hard and theres a "crude" software for them called fxgpwin its straight forward and easy to use if you have a basic knowledge of plc's.

for the siemens s7 i went on a course to manchester and having been quite "scared" of s7 before as its completely different to ab and mitsubishi. when i had finished the course i was more than comfortable with them (although it was only the s7-200) the course was £1600 but the company paid. i would definately recommend the sitrain course but if not i would say that the s7-200 kit from rs would be a great place to start that around £370 it comes with the literature,plc,simulator,software and motor. and the siemens website is really helpful espacially in the forums. also i have a file with ready made blocks (subroutines) to control different aspects it covers everything from start stop to analogue weighing systems. if you want a copy of that just message me back, or you can find them on the siemens website.
if you wanted a cheaper option (although i dont know what its like) theres an alpha2 kit on rs aswell which is £160 same sort of thing as the siemens one.

Thanks for the replies folks, I may have managed to sort out a weeks training but I will set up a separate post for that.

Many thanks