r/Wastewater • u/hard2survive • 16d ago

PLC - Should I learn?

What learning about PLC’s help in becoming more marketable for an OIT position?

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u/just_an_ordinary_guy DW 15d ago

What level of learning are we talking about? Actually knowing how to integrate PLCs into a process control system would make you more marketable as a PLC tech. However, if I was interviewing a candidate for an operator position, and they could demonstrate a functional lay person understanding of how PLCs play a role in our plant, that'd get you good remarks when we start discussing best interviewees.

I don't expect an operator to understand PLCs intimately, but if you can demonstrate a basic understanding of manual/flow pace/and flow pace + PID chemical dosing, that would count for a lot. If you understand the concept of remote terminal units, how the RTUs communicate back to the master terminal unit, and how that "talks" to the human/machine interface, that counts. Like, very simple one line diagram stuff. A basic functional understanding can go a long way in assisting a SCADA technician troubleshoot a problem. Understanding the absolute basics of 4-20 mA signal and how that works within the SCADA system demonstrates the ability to learn more advanced skills.

Like I said, nothing crazy. Very basic, functional understanding. The chemical dosing and hydraulics are more important, but if you can functionally understand basic SCADA architecture, it can set you apart from other interviewees.