Controls Technician

Blommer Chocolate Company•Lower Milford Township, PA

20d

About The Position

The Controls Technician is responsible for quickly troubleshooting plant control systems to minimize downtime and coordinating with other skilled personnel as needed to restore systems to operation. Systems include PLCs, robotics, networked controllers, supervisor controllers, process controllers, and AC or DC motors and drives. The technician maintains, troubleshoots, and improves existing instrumentation and control systems, and leads implementation of new systems, including design, specification, installation, calibration, and qualification activities. The position provides technical support for safety, equipment reliability, productivity, and capital projects involving electrical, controls, instrumentation, or programming integration. It also supports process optimization and hands-on improvements aimed at cost savings, while helping production and maintenance personnel build controls knowledge. The employer reserves the right to change or assign other duties as needed by the business and operations. The available schedule is Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Five or more years of manufacturing industry experience designing, installing, and troubleshooting PLC and motion-control software and hardware.
Five or more years of experience repairing and maintaining equipment or electronics, such as servo drives, HMIs, and programmable controllers.
Experience interfacing with PC-based control systems such as Ignition.
Experience with HMI-SCADA-Historian system design, development, and testing.
Experience with robot-operation error recovery and troubleshooting; ability to operate a teach pendant, re-teach positions, and understand an operation flow chart.
Ability to load recipes and programs into controllers.
Ability to transfer drive parameters when replacing AC or DC motor drives.
Ability to run diagnostics and tune process controllers, such as temperature controllers.
Ability to coordinate a site instrument calibration program using internal and external resources and calibrate equipment such as transducers according to manufacturer instructions.
Specific training related to Allen Bradley drive equipment.
Experience evaluating and implementing preventive or predictive maintenance programs for AC and DC motors, drives, and other electrical equipment.
Experience with automated packaging.
Basic computer, tablet, scanner, and iPad use for recording information.
Ability to read and write English to review and prepare shipment paperwork and documents.
Ability to accomplish the essential duties and responsibilities competently.

Nice To Haves

Industrial trade certification or a diploma in a specific work-related area, such as PLC or drive certifications.

Responsibilities

Troubleshoot plant control systems quickly to minimize downtime and coordinate with skilled personnel to restore systems to operation.
Maintain, troubleshoot, and improve existing instrumentation and control systems, and lead implementation of new systems, including design, specification, installation, calibration, and qualification.
Provide technical input to improve safety, equipment reliability, and productivity.
Provide technical support for capital projects requiring electrical, controls, instrumentation, or programming integration.
Coordinate the work of integration contractors based on resource needs or technical expertise.
Conduct basic controls training for maintenance personnel.
Coach production personnel on ways to reduce automation downtime.
Assist with environmental and safety compliance.
Identify and correct control problems involving PLCs, HMI displays, safety and operational interlocks, photo eyes, drives, and servos.
Use a laptop to run diagnostics on controllers, including networked controllers.
Read electrical schematics, P&IDs (control loops), and ladder logic to assist with troubleshooting.
Support existing operations by recommending process optimization strategies and implementing process improvements to achieve cost savings.
Maintain proficiency in control software, including Allen Bradley, Siemens, and other control platforms, and in PLC-equipped machinery through vendor training and interaction with engineering personnel.
Perform other tasks as assigned by the business and operations.